


Nothing Happened in Connor Creek

by carolineisonline



Category: Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Desmond is the town dad, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fainting, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Graphic Description of Corpses, Grief, Guns, Holding Hands, Implied Sexual Content, I’m going to add tags as i post chapters, Mentions of alcohol, Mentions of car crashes and the foster system, Panic Attacks/Anxiety Attacks, Paul has ADD because i said so, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, artemis said : haha going unconscious go brrr, certainly not madison, different timing and minor details are changed, graphic descriptions of wounds, i suck ass at naming, it’ll earn its M rating in due time i’ll promise you that, jesus christ took them long enough, kinda???, madison is a dork but we love her, madison is oblivious, main plotline stays, mentions of vomit, no beta we die like odie-doty, sorry about that, they're both trying their best, was it romantic or platonic? who knows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:49:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28254924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolineisonline/pseuds/carolineisonline
Summary: Nothing happened in Connor Creek. There were no werewolves. No mysterious deaths. And Madison Reynolds definitely did not fall in love with the podcast journalist.
Relationships: Artemis Schue-Horyn & Paul Schue-Horyn, Desmond Brewer/Quinn Cassidy (minor), Madison Reynolds & Paul Schue-Horyn, Madison Reynolds & Ryan Reynolds, Madison Reynolds/Artemis Schue-Horyn, Mary Jo Walker/Ellis Walker (minor)
Comments: 80
Kudos: 32





	1. Connor Creek was a quiet town. Was.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!  
> This fic will have no concrete upload schedule, but I’m going to upload as frequently as I can! 
> 
> I’ll post TW and CW up here in the notes whenever applicable, and as more tags become relevant, I’ll add them (Dont want the story being spoiled!)
> 
> As always, i need that sweet sweet happy juice, so any comments are very much appreciated!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every great story needs a beginning. Madison’s just happens to start with scaring the shit out of two strangers.

Nothing ever happened in Connor Creek, and Madison was okay with that. The slow lifestyle of the town created a relaxed and stress-free environment for its inhabitants. Plus, the village itself is small enough that you can walk across its entirety in about 5 minutes, and everyone knows everyone. It was a tight-knit community, full of oddballs and quirky characters who trust each other. Heck, Madison doesn’t think she's been locked out of a house in years. Nobody locked their doors or security deposits. At least they didn’t until Miner Mole arrived. The small town sits on top of a generous silver deposit which the company wanted access to. One day, Silas showed up and surveyed the land, pointing out spaces to build the office, and within a few months the new and shiny building was erected on the outskirts of the town. With the addition of Miner mole came unrest and disagreement, and the town was divided between the pro-miners and the anti-miners. And Madison didn’t know which one to choose. As the sheriff of Connor Creek, it’s her duty to protect the town and do what’s right for the people. 

The pro-miners did have a point-- there is something to be said about bringing more business to the town. It would be good for the economy and could provide more jobs for the less educated. The Iron family was certainly a good example of that principle, but Madison would be lying if she said that she approved of them pulling their 16-year-old daughter, Jewel, out of school to work in the mines. Other viewpoints existed as well, although they all had different reasons. Jeremiah was in favor because he wanted more participants in his Church, Barney wanted more customers to see the egg he claimed was from a dinosaur, but every individual reason shared a similar sentiment- Miner Mole means more people, which means more business.

The anti-mining section of the town also had some legitimate points. Rita didn’t want them there because they would “disrupt the macabre feeling of our little town” or something of the sorts (which, for the record, Madison did not agree with- Connor Creek had a lovely aura about it), Helen was concerned about the budget, and Desmond was against it, although he would deny it to the end of his life. An interesting contrast to his husband Quinn, who just wanted more people to taste his bouillabaisse.

And then Truman appeared. Like Miner Mole, Truman Hensley appeared one day and started her campaign for city council, which gained a lot of traction considering her outsider status. She’s an advocate for the mining corporation in Connor Creek and is also campaigning against Ryan Reynolds, Madison’s brother. She seems nice enough, but something about her just made Madison’s skin crawl. This new competition in the political scene raised the stakes dramatically. The little city of Connor Creek was slowly drifting apart, and Madison didn’t know which side to take.

It was with these tensions in mind that Madison decided to brush up her shooting skills, because anyone who knew Madison knew that she was a terrible shot. The crime rate of Connor Creek was non-existent, and really the only time that Madison has to use her pistol is when she has to put an animal out of its misery. And that’s at a short distance, so it’s hard for her to miss. The farther away she gets from her target, the less reliable her aim. So every Tuesday and Thursday, she goes out to a little clearing near the closest road and practices on a little printout she hung against a tree. 

It was during one of those practice sessions when Madison heard distant conversation coming from the side of the road while shooting a couple of rounds at the poster. She emerged from the brush to find two very scared people. The first was a man with a stocky build and curly black hair and a beard to go with it. His tinted rectangular glasses were askew on his nose from diving behind his friend. The other was a woman about her height who had dark red hair tied up in a ponytail and bangs that just covered her eyebrows. She also had piercing gray eyes that gave her a no-nonsense sort of demeanor.

“Oh, shoot. I didn’t get you did I? I am so sorry to startle you folks. I was just brushing up my target practice in the woods.” 

She watched as they slowly relaxed, the girl taking her hands out from in front of her face and the boy peeking out from behind.

“Wow.” The boy said. “You really murdered that hostage.”

The girl rolled her eyes and slapped him on the chest with the back of her hand before speaking. 

“Hi, I’m Artemis and this is my brother, Paul. We were heading to Connor Creek.” 

“Oh! Well you’re in luck. I am the sheriff of Connor Creek, Sheriff Madison.” She stuck out her hand to shake theirs but instead of reaching to grab hers, they flinched back again, and Madison looked down to figure out why. 

“Oh.” Madison had stuck out her gun for them to shake. That would explain it. She laughed awkwardly in an attempt to diffuse the tension and put it away, now extending her hand without a gun for them to shake. This time, they took her hand and shook it amicably, Artemis smiling back politely, although she did notice that she was a little bit perturbed by the whole scenario. Madison couldn’t blame her, honestly. 

“Y’all need a lift?”

  
  
  


Madison sat smiling in the driver's seat of her old truck, recording equipment and suitcases filling the backseat and crowding a very squished Paul. Artemis was sitting in the passenger's seat, her arms crossed and staring very intently outside the window.

Another thing about Madison: she hates awkward silence more than probably anything else in the world. Sitting in a car with strangers and not talking at all is a very uncomfortable situation. So she did what she does best. Talk.

“Yeah, I’ve been the sheriff of Connor Creek for uhhh- whew- going on about eight years now! My family has been Connor Creek folk for generations, and actually, my grandfather was sheriff, as well as my great-grandfather! It’s kind of a family tradition. My father, however, always went against the grain. That’s probably where my brother gets it from.” Madison told these two strangers all about her life and her little town. How her father was an actor, but everyone called him “sheriff” anyway because he played one in a movie once. 

And yeah, she knows about the “stranger danger” rule. It was especially important in a small town such as hers- outsiders are rare to come by and not easily trusted. But something about Artemis and her brother Paul made her feel comfortable. Paul especially. He sat in the back seat, soaking in all of the information and nodding his head along enthusiastically at everything she said. Artemis on the other hand was listening with a sort of detached interest and held a small grey device in her hand. That didn’t mean that she didn’t seem friendly though. 

“So where are y’all from?” Madison asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Paul. 

Artemis spoke up. “Los Angeles.” 

Madison smiled and said “Not too eventful around these parts, especially compared to Los Angeles. Though, we do have a city council election coming around in two months that’s got everybody buzzin’ like beavers. We even have two human candidates this year and everything! But yeah. We’re simple folk. Not a lot of policing needed here.”

Artemis turned her head to look at Madison and smiled. “That’s why we’re here, actually. We’re here with the American Podcasting Network to record a podcast about the Connor Creek election.” 

Madison raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “Oh really? Wouldn’t expect city folk like yourselves to want to record something about our small town here.”

Suddenly, her walkie-talkie crackled and the voice of Wallis Gale came through. 

“Wallis to sheriff, over.”

Madison sighed and picked up the walkie talkie from the center console.

“You’ll have to forgive me.” She pressed the side button and talked into the walkie talkie. “This is Sheriff, over.”

“Hi, Sheriff, this is Wallis. We’ve got a bogey on Pine Mountain Road that needs to be cleared right away. Tell ya what- I’m gonna- I’m gonna put you on with Garmin to direct you-”

Madison replied, “Wallis this town only has four roads.” 

Wallis could still be heard in the background, “All drivers are diverting to Pine Valley Lane.” 

Madison huffed “Shoot. Sorry.” She put down the Walkie Talkie and flicked on the lights and siren. “Duty calls.”

A quick detour to help a rogue turtle cross the road, and by sundown, Madison had delivered Artemis and Paul safely to the Dead Canary, which was completely empty except for Dr. Henry. The town drunk and doctor. Yup. This was going to go _swell._


	2. Ryan is Paranoid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis and Paul are introduced to Ryan Reynolds, Madison's older brother. He makes quite the impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a day?
> 
> Unheard of.

“Here we are! The Dead Canary! The most popular spot in town!” Madison, Artemis, and Paul looked around at the little inn. It was old and a little bit dusty, and the tables didn’t even have tablecloths on them. There was one patron, Dr. Henry Edwards, the dual town drunk and doctor. Artemis and Paul looked back at Madison skeptically. 

“Well, it is a Tuesday.” She smiled reassuringly and walked them up to the bar. “Ol’ Desmond will take good care of y’all. I have to go and make my nightly rounds, but I’ll be back in about 10 minutes or so. Now, don’t get into trouble ‘cause I’ll see ya.” 

Blank stares. 

“I mean I hope I don’t get ‘cha.” 

Still nothing. 

“Okay nevermind.” 

Madison returned to the Dead Canary after an eventful nightly round. The raccoons were scrounging around in Agnes’s trashcan again. She chose a worn-out booth at the back of the inn and watched as the siblings talked to Desmond about their room. She glanced around at the old inn, enjoying its atmosphere. Something about it was comforting. Maybe it was because she grew up in this inn, or maybe it's because of the landscape around it, but it has always felt like home. She turned her attention back over to Artemis and Paul and watched for a while longer, listening from afar as they talked about what podcasts were and which room they had. Desmond handed them their keys and pointed them in the direction of the rooms, and Artemis and Paul headed up the stairs with their luggage. Not too soon after they disappeared, the door of the Inn opened, and in came her brother. 

Ryan walked in wearing a corduroy coat and jeans, a backpack slung across his back, and his trail boots. No matter how different she and Ryan were, they had one thing in common, and that was their shared love of taking a walk on the trials that webbed off of Connor Creek. Ryan spotted Madison and trotted over, sliding into the seat beside her.

“So where are they?” Ryan looked around quickly, surveying the room around them.

Madison rolled her eyes and looked at him sideways. “Relax, the Schue-Hoyrns are here. They’re just putting their stuff up in their room.” Ryan huffed and slouched forwards twiddling his thumbs and tapping his feet. Eventually, Artemis’s red hair could be spotted coming down the stairs, followed by a very eager Paul. Ryan stood up quickly and practically raced over to Artemis and Paul, hastily shaking their hands and introducing himself, before dragging them over to the booth and sitting back down next to Madison. Jesus. Ryan was a generally anxious person but this was a lot. 

“Miss Schue-Hoyrn, I am so glad that you made it to Connor Creek. I take it you received my emails?”

Artemis glanced over at Madison in concern. “Yes, I received them. And the gifts, and the edible arrangements.”

Madison looked at her brother in disbelief. “You sent her an edible arrangement? Ryan!” She turned her head back to Artemis. “Artemis, I am so sorry.”

Artemis waved it off and introduced herself properly, as well as Paul. 

“So. I should uh- start off by telling you a little bit about Connor Creek--”

Artemis finished his sentence with a forced smile. “Is it a charming mining town with a hairy history nestled cozily off of the California trail?”

Ryan glanced at Madison gleefully and returned his gaze to Artemis. “You- you did read my emails!” 

Artemis just kept smiling. “Yes.”

That poor woman. 

“Well, this is going to be the story for you. My story has corruption, politics, big business, little business, stickin’ it to the man- well I’m getting myself worked up just thinking about it.”

Artemis just looked at him with feigned patience, whereas Paul looked at him with genuine interest. Ryan looked back confused before he got that he was supposed to continue.

“Oh right. I have recently come across some scandalous dealings between Miner Mole Incorporated and our local government. Now, the branch in Connor Creek was initially intended to invigorate our small economy, _but-_ ” He paused for dramatic effect - “I have a pretty well-informed hunch that they are actually conspiring against me. They are actually blackmailing my friends, they are actually turning our fine townspeople into mindless corporate slaves with the full intent of wiping out all of our beloved small-town culture. And Miss Schue-Hoyrn, I picked you because I know you’ll settle for nothing but the truth, and it’ll drive you nuts if you can’t figure it out.”

Artemis leaned forwards with interest and cocked an eyebrow. “Figure what out?”  
  


Ryan’s voice lowered to a whisper and spoke quietly. “Who’s trying to kill me.”

Madison rolled her eyes and regarded her brother. “No one is trying to kill you, Ryan.”  
  


“You don’t know that! I’ve had this feeling since Truman appeared. It’s like the woman is always watching me! I haven’t felt a lick of safety in my own house for _weeks_ , Maddy.” Ryan gestured wildly with his hands like he always does when he’s upset. Madison only raised her hand to his face in response.

The rest of the meeting went relatively okay. Artemis and Paul listened patiently as Ryan explained the conspiracy theories about him, and they discussed the town and Ryan’s campaign. Even though Paul was just as much a part of the Schue-Hoyrn team, Madison noticed that he tended to be pushed aside in conversation. Not by Artemis, but by whoever they’re interviewing. He just seems much too cuddly to be taken seriously unlike his sister, who sometimes looked like she would stab you if you didn’t listen to her. Her cutting quips and focused demeanor could demand the attention of the most powerful government officials. In a way, she kinda felt bad for Paul. He was also very smart and had some very valid points, but Ryan just pushed them aside or barely acknowledged them at all before returning to his sister. 

About 30 minutes later, Ryan was vigorously shaking the hands of Artemis and Paul, and saying his goodbyes while walking out the door, a habit he picked up from their father. He always had a tendency to walk away while in the middle of a sentence. It was dark outside now, the magenta sky was being replaced with a deep blue, and the sun had disappeared behind the tree line. A few more minutes of pleasant chit-chat and Paul decided that it was time to hit the hay, leaving just Madison and Artemis in the little booth in the back.

“Sorry about him. He can be a bit… intense.” Madison said cautiously. Artemis just shook her head and raised her drink to her lips to take a sip. 

“Really, it’s fine. I’ve met crazier people.” She placed her mug on the table and pulled out a notepad and the small gray device from before. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your brother?”

“Absolutely!” Madison sat forwards and eagerly answered all of her questions.

“Ryan was always an anxious person. When we were kids, I was always the daredevil, not him. I was the one playing in the woods and finding snakes and spiders, while he was inside reading whatever book he could get his hands on. Ryan is not exactly known for being the most level headed person either. I don’t mean he’s hot-headed, quite the contrary. He’s just very…” Madison paused and searched for the right word. “Paranoid. But he’s also very kind. Don’t tell him I said that.” Madison saw Artemis crack a tiny smile while writing down what she was saying. “He tutors and does whatever he can to help the town. He really cares for us, ya know? He just tends to let his fears and anxieties take over.”

Artemis nodded. “Do you know why he wants to run for town council?”

  
Madison thought for a moment. “Not particularly. I know he wants to help the town, and I know that he's not the biggest fan of Mine Mole Inc., but I don’t really know anything beyond that.”

“Tell me more about your childhood.” 

Within 20 minutes, the recorder was turned off, and Madison and Artemis were exchanging stories of their youth, marveling in the similarities they shared. Both had big brothers (“He’s only older by an hour and forty-seven minutes, and yet he manages to hold it over my head whenever he wants to make a point”), both knew their passion in life early on- Madison had wanted to be a sheriff for as long as she could remember, and played cops and robbers outside with the other children. Artemis and Paul absorbed themselves in mystery literature when they were young and would solve mysteries around their town during the summer, solving everything from “where is Suzy’s dog” to “who ate the last cookie”, and made it their life goal to be investigative journalists. This new side of Artemis was unexpected but very welcome. She lounged back comfortably in the seat and smiled easily. A real smile, which crinkled her eyes and turned her gaze from that of a knife into something softer and welcoming. She was surprisingly easy to open up to, much like Paul was. They were both natural listeners and had this quality of reassurance. Suddenly, their lively discussion was interrupted by Madison’s wristwatch beeping.

“Well, would you look at that? It’s 11 o’clock!” Madison got up and scooted out of the booth, grabbing her hat and coat. “It’s been a pleasure talking with you. I can take you on a tour of the town tomorrow if you’d like?”

Artemis shook her hand warmly and smiled genuinely “I would love that. Thank you so much, Sheriff.”  
  


Madison shook her head. “Please, call me Madison.” Artemis smiled and nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow Artemis!” They waved and Madison headed back to her cabin, humming all the way there.


	3. Maybe He Had a Reason to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison and Artemis get to know each other, but things take a turn for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Description of blood and wounds
> 
> Sorry, this is a bit of a short chapter y'all.
> 
> And so it begins.
> 
> I apologize for the long wait. We had to say goodbye to my guinea pig on the 24th and my panic disorder has been acting up because of the stress, but I'M BACK!

The morning has always been Madison’s favorite time of day. The grass always sparkled with the dew from the previous night and the rising sun reflected off of the trees, giving the entire world an ethereal glow. Madison and Artemis walked side by side in the early morning air, absorbing the atmosphere of the sleepy town. Barely anyone was awake so early in the morning, so they had the streets to themselves, just talking spiritedly and taking in the fresh mountain air that cooled their lungs. Soon enough, they ran into the Walkers who were setting up their display to their flower shop.

Madison called out across the street “Good Morning Ellis and Mary Jo!”

They picked up their heads and looked over at Madison and Artemis, before calling back to them. “Well, good morning Sheriff Madison! And Ms… Schue-Hoyrn, was it? How is your husband?” Mary Jo asked sweetly.   
  


“He’s- he’s my brother.” Artemis looked taken aback. 

Mary Jo and Ellis smirked at each other and said simultaneously “Sure.”

Madison shook her head and tried to change the subject. “Any news today?”

“Well, you didn’t hear it from us-” Ellis started.

“But we’ve heard that Ags has been experimenting with marijuana behind the Dead Canary,” Mary Jo interrupted.

Artemis widened her eyes and pursed her lips a bit in surprise and glanced at Madison.

“Is that so?” Madison feigned surprise. She knew this wasn’t true but had a reputation to uphold. 

  
  
Ellis and Mary Jo clung to each other, nodding slowly. “Oh yes. We found a bag of it in the trash can.”    
  


“Where would they find a dealer here in this small town?”

Mary Jo and Ellis looked at each other quizzically and it took all of Madison’s willpower not to laugh as they stared at one another.

  
“Uh-huh. Well, nice catching up, Ellis and Mary Jo.” Madison grabbed Artemis and dragged her away, waving back at the Walkers who smiled innocently. Artemis looked at Madison and raised her eyebrow. 

“That’s Mary Jo and Ellis Walker. They’re the town florists and have impeccable taste in decor.”

Artemis continued to stare at Madison. She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in so only Artemis could hear.

“They also like to keep themselves entertained by coming up with stories about the town.” Madison winked and patted Artemis on the back. “Honestly, I’m surprised that they haven’t moved out to Hollywood. The two of them would go stir-crazy without some sort of drama. And since nothing really goes on in this town, they create the drama themselves.”

  
“Ah,” Artemis chuckled. “I see. So Ags isn’t experimenting with marijuana behind the Dead Canary?”   
  


“No, Most likely not.” Madison chuckled. “If they did find anything, I’ll bet you any money it was oregano.” 

Madison and Artemis smiled at each other and continued on their tour. Madison showed her Town Hall, Prism’s cabin, the Museum, and pointed out each road and where they led. Connor Creek is tiny, so the tour didn’t take much longer and the two made it back to the Dead Canary by 10 am for brunch. 

  
  


Madison was sipping some orange juice through a straw and Artemis took a bite of her toast.

“So,” Artemis spoke once she swallowed most of her toast. “Who do you recommend I interview?”   
  


“Well, everyone here has something to offer. But I would say Aubrey is a good place to start.”   
  


“Did we run into him?”   
  


“No, he’s the town historian. He’s pretty reclusive so you usually only see him during town meetings.” She took another sip of orange juice, “But if you’re interested in the history of the town, he’s the guy to go to.”

Artemis jotted his name down in her notebook and raised her eyes to make contact with Madison’s.

“Anyone else?”

Madison finished off her drink and placed it on the table with a clink.

“Ummm, maybe Ellis and Mary Jo? You remember them from this morning. They love to talk so you’ll probably be able to get something out of them. Whether or not it’s true is a toss-up, though,” she shrugged.

Artemis thanked Madison for her help and headed out, cleaning her plate along the way. It went on like this for a few days, Artemis and Madison hanging out in the Dead Canary, Artemis going over her findings and stressing about Ryan’s story not being good enough. Every once in a while Paul would join them, and the three of them would compare leads and chat over a fresh meal. 

Madison has always been honest with herself about her emotions, so Madison would be lying if she said that she didn’t find Artemis pretty. But you can find someone attractive without being attracted to them. Still, she realized that she had been watching Artemis closely, and her eyes tended to drift towards her general direction during the time they spend together, picking up on all of her little habits. Like how she leaned back whenever she was discussing business or taking in new information, or how she hummed and her eyes rolled back and whenever she had food that tasted really good. How she crossed her arms when she was annoyed or frustrated. But none of this meant that she wanted to run her hands through her hair, or press soft kisses to her freckled skin, or wake up next to her in the morning. She just thought that she was good-looking. 

However, things took a change on the fourth day. It was during one of these info sessions that Madison caught herself staring at Artemis for a bit longer than usual. She watched as Artemis poured over her work, occasionally tapping her pen on the table and biting the corners of her nails as she worked something out. Something about Artemis made Madison really happy. Not like the normal kind of happiness, like the kind you get from being around a friend or from reading your favorite book. This was a different kind of happiness. The kind that swirled in your stomach and made your heart flip flop around in your chest. Oh god. Madison’s cheeks flushed and she looked down at her lap. It was quite possible that she had a crush on Artemis. 

“Madison?”

Madison looked up with a start to find Artemis staring at her with concern. 

“You okay?”

Madison spoke as confidently as she could. “Oh yeah, I’m great. I just spaced out a bit, sorry ‘bout that.”

Artemis smiled sympathetically. “Oh of course! Paul does that all the time, don’t worry about it. What is the last thing you remember?”

“Something about how everyone here is so different?” 

Artemis chuckled “Oh yeah. I think this entire town revolves around being a little bit crazy. It must be something in the water. No offense Madison.”

Madison laughed in agreement. This was going to be a long couple of months.

  
  


Madison and Artemis walked out of the Dead Canary laughing, Madison on her way to do her nightly rounds, when the two women noticed a large crowd huddled around something in the middle of the street. At first, Madison thought it was an animal. And then she noticed the flannel, and her entire body went numb. The hand on her arm and Artemis’s voice seemed distant- like it was traveling through a very long tunnel. She knew that flannel. She’d know that flannel anywhere; that's the flannel that she gave Ryan for his birthday.

She lurched forwards and pushed her way through the crowd to find her worst nightmare come true. Ryan was on the ground, his shirt torn open and soaked with blood from the deep lacerations that covered his back. His deep brown eyes stared ahead at nothing in particular, and blood splattered his face and hands. Madison fell to her knees with a bloodcurdling scream and shook her brother for all that she was worth. 

This has to be a nightmare.


	4. This has to be a Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison grieves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of vomit, panic/anxiety attack-like symptoms, and lots of grief. 
> 
> Madison's going through some shit right now.

Madison screamed and screamed till her voice hurt and her throat was red and inflamed. It stung when she spoke, but still, she begged and pleaded for anyone to help. Her fingers hurt from gripping Ryan’s shirt and shaking him. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t. This couldn’t be real. Tears stained her shirt and blurred her vision, streaming down her face, and leaving streaks of warmth where they fell. People moved in and out of her line of vision, and tugged on her jacket to try to lead her away, but she just swung back her arms and didn’t let go of Ryan. At some point, two people grabbed both of her arms and picked her up. She screamed and cried out Ryan’s name, hoping- praying- for Ryan to look up and respond. But he never did. His glassy eyes stayed fixed in front of him. She kicked and struggled in her mystery kidnappers arms, trying so desperately to go back to her brother. He needed her! She couldn’t leave! Rita and Dr. Henry rushed onto the scene and pushed everyone back. Suddenly, Madison stopped fighting. Her body went limp and she just sobbed into nothingness. Whoever the people were who carried her away placed her down onto the couch in the break room of the Dead Canary and kneeled down in front of her. Madison looked up to find a very blurry Paul and a blob of red moving out of the room. 

Paul spoke quietly and calmly. “Desmond will be right back. He’s getting something for you.”

Madison’s stomach and head swirled, twisting the world around her until she was faint and nauseous, and the unwelcome taste of bile rose in the back of her throat. 

“I’m gonna throw up,” Madison mumbled and stumbled to the little bathroom off to the right. She fell over the toilet and retched. Everything was so awful. Her head hurt, her throat stung, her stomach ached, and now her knees were bruised and her mouth tasted acidic. After a few minutes, someone held her hair and rubbed her back as she heaved, placing a wet towel on the back of her neck and cold water ran under her shirt and down her back. Normally, Madison hates that feeling, but somehow, it helps her feel better. She feels cooler and less nauseous. She eventually sits up and finds Desmond crouching down next to her, a water bottle and Advil in hand. He shakes out three small pills and hands them to her.    
  
“Take these. They’ll help.” His voice is surprisingly soft and gentle. She takes them and takes a sip of water. The cold water against her throat feels soothing, and she goes to take another sip before Desmond takes the water bottle away from her.

  
“Don’t drink too much at a time. You’ll throw up again.” Madison nodded and sat on the floor in silence for a moment before her grief hit her like a bus, and she was curled up into herself sobbing again. Everything hurt. Her stomach, her head, her knees, and most of all her heart. No matter how much Ryan and Madison fought, she loved him so much. He was her brother, and they always looked out for each other. And Madison failed to protect him. The more Madison thought about it, the harder she cried. Her entire body trembled and shook as she sobbed, taking sharp breaths every once in a while as she tried to breathe. The door slowly creaked open and in came Artemis with a box of tissues. She crouched down and sat on her heels so she was eye level with Madison.

“Madison, I am so, so sorry.” Her voice was soft and full of sympathy. Madison launched herself into Artemis’s arms which opened up without question. Her breathing was shallow and quick as the world collapsed around her, and Madison shook into Artemis’s shoulder as she rubbed her back and whispered her condolences. Having someone hold her helps significantly- helps her hold onto reality for a bit longer. 

For a while, they sat like that. Madison shivering into Artemis’s arms, grounding herself using the cold tile on the floor and the comforting warmth coming from her friend, and slowing her breathing until it matched Artemis’s.

“We should head back to your cabin, Madison,” Artemis whispers after a moment, pulling out of the hug and handing her a tissue. Madison takes it gratefully and wipes away her tears before taking another sip of water. 

“My head hurts,” Madison manages to croak out. 

“I know. It’s late and you’re probably tired. Let’s head back. You ready?” Artemis holds out her hand and helps Madison up, supporting her weight as they walk out of the Dead Canary, the cold September air stinging the tear tracks on her face.

Madison barely remembers anything after that. Artemis walked her home and stayed with her for as long as she needed before heading back to the inn to go to sleep herself, and came back every day after that to help her with chores and comfort her as she grieved. Madison felt guilty about the whole situation- Artemis putting a pause on her podcast to help her. Paul also tried to take a hiatus, but Madison insisted that he should keep working on it. She would feel worse if their entire project was abandoned just because she was sad. Every once in a while, Desmond would come over with her favorite meal and coax her into eating. She didn’t have much of an appetite anymore, so a lot of times, that was her only meal of the day. She felt weak and exhausted all of the time, and her frailty and emotional vulnerability made her feel guilty. Constantly, Artemis, Paul and Desmond would reassure her that she was not wasting their time and that she was not being dramatic, but she didn’t believe it. She knew that they were just saying that to make her feel better. It was especially hard because just as she was feeling a little bit better, another huge wave of grief would knock her back down, and she was back at square one, blubbering like a child in Artemis’s arms over something that happened weeks ago. 

“I’m- I’m so sorry Artemis.” Madison sobbed.

Artemis rubbed her arm soothingly “Don’t be. It’s okay to be sad.”

“But it’s been weeks and your podcast--”

Artemis cut her off “The podcast is being handled by Paul. It’ll be fine. And you’re more important right now.”   
  


Madison mumbled into her jacket dejectedly “I shouldn’t be.”

Artemis pulled out of the hug so she could hold Madison’s shoulders and make eye contact. If Madison wasn’t a sobbing mess right now, her heart would be doing a jig.

“Madison, yes you are,” she punctuated each word with certainty, and Madson knew she meant it. “You lost someone really important to you. When Paul and I lost our parents, we had each other. Now you have me,” she was pulled into another strong and assuring hug.

Madison choked up, “You promise?”

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dadmond rights.


	5. Orange leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison is upset so she takes a walk and runs into Artemis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year Y'all! I hope 2021 is the best year of all time because after this year we all deserve it. Yes, all of us. Even you. Especially you. No, I mean it, you deserve it.

By the time October came around, Madison was doing well enough that she was able to go back to work. She still had that heavy gloom that settled in her chest, but it was manageable, and better described as an ache that festered in her stomach and irritated her senses than a stabbing pain that twisted her insides until she was doubled over. 

Instead, Madison poured the anger and grief about Ryan into helping the twins with their story. She spent even more time sitting in the decrepit booth in the Dead Canary with the Schue-Hoyrns, looking at evidence and listening to recordings over and over again, searching for any indication of malice towards her brother. During her grieving period, Paul and Artemis had collected some statements from the citizens around the town (Artemis went to help Paul whenever Madison wanted to be alone, or was feeling a little bit better, or was asleep- basically, any time she could get), and Agnes Florentine was especially suspicious at the moment, especially considering her reaction to last month’s occurrences. According to the Schue-Hoyrns, they were trying to discuss what happened with Rita Waldeburg, when she bust in and started rambling on about travel agencies, and the time she spent in the “city of angels'', right over Ryan as he lay in the sun. Needless to say, Madison was none too pleased. She frequently found herself playing back that recording on the flash-drive Artemis gave to her for safekeeping and pacing a hole in the old carpet in her office.

Ag’s voice crackled through the speakers of her old computer. 

> “We got a lot of rich history with the Connor, MacMahon feuds, and of course a local industry that is untouched by outside influences, like these ti--”

Madison pulled out the flash-drive aggressively and turned it over in her hand, the metal cold against her hot skin. It’s just the way Ags is so nonchalant about the whole thing! 

_Ryan- he- How could she not- I just-_

Madison sighed and placed it back in the drawer of her desk (she locked it as well- no matter how mad she was at that tiny piece of metal she promised Artemis and Paul that she would take care of it) and stormed out of the little cabin to take a walk in the woods. The forest surrounding her little town never failed to soothe her nerves and lift her spirits. 

The few deciduous trees that were scattered around were changing colors, creating a gradient of greens and yellows and reds, and especially oranges, which were vibrant and stood out amongst the dark greens of the fir trees. Madison smiled and picked one up off of the dirt path under her. An _Acer glabrum_ \- or Douglas Maple as it’s more commonly called. The crunch of the already brown leaves under her boots connected her to the earth a little bit more, and with each step, her worries and stress melted away, and Madison sighed deeply, noting the smell of soil and wet leaves on the ground that defined autumn. Her thoughts were interrupted by a second pair of feet crunching leaves a bit farther down behind her, and she looked over her shoulder to find Artemis, her hair up in a high ponytail and clad in a long tweed coat that ended mid thigh. Her heart skipped a beat and Madison felt like she was going to melt. God, Artemis looked good in autumn apparel. Even more than usual. Her cheeks were dusted pink from the slight nip in the air and her outfit only made her look more stunning. She was wearing a bright orange turtleneck sweater underneath her coat which brought out her hair and eyes and- Madison looked down at her own outfit and suddenly felt very underdressed.

_Why? This wasn’t planned, you didn’t even know that you were going to bump into each other here. You’re over thinking things again,_ Madison rationalized. Nonetheless, she felt slightly embarrassed as Artemis picked up the pace to walk side by side.

“Hey!” Artemis said once she caught up and stuck her hands in her pockets once more.

“Howdy!” Madison would have to blame the redness that rose to her face on the cold. “What’re you doing out here?”

Artemis shrugged and spoke simply “Same as you I s'pose. Clearing my mind. Taking in the scenery.” Her gaze softened and she placed a hand on Madison’s arm. “How have you been?” 

Yes, it was definitely the cold that made her face red like that. Madison avoided eye contact and was suddenly very interested in the ground. “I’m doing… okay. I guess that’s all I can hope for right now.” 

Artemis released her arm and nodded solemnly. “Of course. Well, if you ever need anything,” 

Madison nodded silently as Artemis trailed off, consumed by her own thoughts about the case. The woman beside her couldn’t possibly be the perpetrator of whatever happened. She was too kind and wonderful, and plus, Madison was with her the whole time. Was Artemis pulling the wool over her eyes? Maybe, but it was also very soft and warm wool and it didn’t irritate her skin. And Paul was out of the question, he was too soft for any of that (no offense to Paul but it’s true).

“What are you thinking about?” Madison was pulled out of her thoughts to find Artemis still walking next to her, matching her stride and tilting her head sideways in curiosity as she tended to do when genuinely interested. 

Madison just shook her head and opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying so desperately to form her brother’s name in her mouth.

“Ryan?” Artemis asked softly. Madison nodded and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

“It’s not just that. It’s also that I’m just so mad at whoever did-” she took out a hand and waved it in the general direction of the town to articulate the words she couldn’t say, “ _that._ And since I don’t know who did it, I’m mad at everyone and everything, and-” she trailed off and withdrew back into her shell, turning her face away from Artemis. The unfortunately familiar prickle at the corner of her eyes had returned, and she quickly took a deep breath to compose herself. 

All of a sudden, she felt a soft and warm hand envelop hers and turned to find Artemis had taken her hand. Madison looked down and then back up at her face, looking for any indication that the gesture was romantic in nature, but she couldn’t tell over the beating of her heart. She hoped that Artemis couldn’t feel it. If she could, she didn’t mention it. She just looked at her with sympathy and squeezed her hand. 

Madison didn’t want to leave this moment. Artemis looked directly at her and held her hand tightly, her red hair framed by the autumn colors of the trees and the gentle breeze rustled their clothes, sneaking under their coats and making them shiver. Neither woman said anything. They stood in the middle of the path, hand in hand, faces flushed from the cold (Madison was red for other reasons as well) and basking in the comfortable silence of understanding and grief. 

  
After a moment or two. Both started walking again and struck up a new, much less depressing conversation about the townsfolk, their hands still intertwined and swinging between them in time with their step. It wasn’t until Artemis pulled out her phone to text Paul that their hands left each other and returned to their respective pockets. By the time they parted ways at the Dead Canary, Madison was significantly happier. Her mood had increased tenfold, and the spring in her step had returned. Artemis had to go with Paul to go and interview Aubrey, and they planned to meet up again tomorrow to talk about their findings, which gave Madison plenty of time to process her afternoon. What _was_ that? Artemis had held her hand and squeezed it, and did not let go for a long time. She did it to comfort Madison, obviously, but the way that Artemis looked at her didn’t feel just platonic. Maybe Madison was grasping at straws, looking for signs that weren’t there, but thinking back at that entire interaction gave her stomach butterflies and made her hand tingle where Artemis touched it. Maybe it was something more, but maybe it was just to comfort her. Either way, Madison slept peacefully for the first time in almost a month, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.


	6. Yin and Yang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison and Paul reflect on the differences between the Schue-Hoyrn twins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep forgetting how difficult summaries are.
> 
> Anyway, ever since the very beginning of this fic's conception, I wanted to have Paul have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) because, p r o j e c t i o n, so his experiences are a lot like mine. Not everyone experiences ADHD and ADD the same, so my symptoms may be very different from others, and some may be the same. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Sometimes, Madison couldn’t believe that Artemis and Paul were twins. They were just so different. Like Apollo and Artemis, the twin Gods of the sun and moon. Two sides of the same coin. This sentiment was further solidified when they burst into the Dead Canary the next Saturday evening, the eldest beaming with pride and the younger sibling looking beaten down and on her last nerve.

“So,” Madison leaned on her elbows and tipped into their conversation, “Any luck?”

  
“Yes!” Paul said enthusiastically at the same time that Artemis said “No,” with a dismal look creasing her brow. 

Artemis sighed and put her notes down on the table. “Aubrey gave us no new information.”

Paul hit her arm playfully. “But what about those missing pages? About the _werewolves_?”

Artemis sighed deeply. “Paul, enough with the werewolf shit. There are no such things as werewolves. His great-grandfather was a little…” she made circular motions around her ear, “Crazy. That’s why they ripped out the pages. It was unreliable.”

Paul’s face fell a little bit but quickly perked up when Artemis slid her notes over to Madison and started pointing out all the little details they learned from that day. 

“He was just so _lukewarm_ about everything. Wishy-washy. We weren’t able to get any concrete opinions out of him at all. And he was so nervous about revealing any information about the past of Connor Creek. Like it was top secret or something. All that I asked was what happened to the MacMahons and he got all anxious and said that they drifted apart because of the silver mines and no one knows where they went.” Artemis huffed.

Paul chimed in excitedly “Ah, but that’s not all that he said! Listen.” He pulled out his recording equipment and rewinded until the nasal voice of Aubrey Dockweiler could be heard.

>   
>  _“Some say the MacMahons got greedy. Others say that… forces beyond comprehension… were controlling those mines-’'_

Paul paused the tape with a click and spoke quickly. “Forces beyond comprehension! Are you kidding me? That’s so cool! And that’s not all-”

“Ugh Paul, not now-” 

“There was this book that had the history of Connor Creek in it and there was an entire section titled ‘The Werewolves of Connor Creek’. Werewolves! And the pages were all covered in blood and wrinkled, and-”

“And the pages were all torn out because they were lies. Come on, Paul, we’ve already told her, and plus, he said it himself. His great-grandpa was crazy. He was too, if I’m being completely honest. Going on about werewolves and ‘hooey’ and the contradicting sentences,” Artemis trailed on before being interrupted by her brother. 

“But Artie-” Paul protested.

Artemis cut him off again. “Paul, Audrey has a few screws loose. And yeah, he’s a little too obsessed with werewolves, but you seem to be as well and that doesn’t make them any more real than if no one believed. We’ve seen enough episodes of the Solve It Squad to know that paranormal occurrences are just occult-obsessed freaks playing mind tricks to make it seem like something supernatural is happening.” She cleaned up the booth a bit, putting away her things and folding up her notes to tuck away in her bag. 

“So, what now?” Madison finally spoke after a moment of slightly uncomfortable silence. “It seems like he didn’t give you any super useful information.”

Artemis sighed and toyed with the zipper on her backpack. “Aubrey mentioned something about the silver deposits under the town. How much do you know about that?”

Madison shrugged. “Not much if I’m being completely honest. I know that we have a large amount of silver under the town, and I know that one day, Miner Mole appeared and set up shop on the outskirts of town. The town is kinda split too, half of the people want them here and the other half want them gone.”

Paul chimed in helpfully. “Aubrey did mention that the town is split between people who ‘change, and people who are resistant to change’. That’s probably what he was talking about.”

“Then maybe we should go check out Miner Mole?” Artemis looked up at Paul for approval and then looked at Madison.

“Well, if you’re looking to talk to Miner Mole, Silas Torsen is the guy to go to.” She spat out his name venomously. And for good reason. Ever since Silas has gotten here, he has done nothing to be kind to the people of Connor Creek. And don’t even get Madison started on his attitude towards women. If Madison had a nickel for every time he has said something gross or misogynistic, she would have enough to buy herself the brand new model of the most expensive car (Madison didn’t really know much about cars but she at least knew they were expensive). “Just go in there and ask to speak to him.”

Paul slapped the table dramatically and announced, “Very well then. We shall visit this Silas Torsen in the castle of Miner Mole on the ‘morrow.”

“Actually, you can’t see him tomorrow.” She smiled awkwardly. Madison hated saying no to people, even if she technically wasn’t saying no to anything. “Miner Mole isn’t open on Sundays.” 

Paul continued his silly little charade (much to Artemis’s chagrin) and spoke regally again, “We shall see him on Monday!” before calling over Quinn to order meals for all of them. 

  
  
  


“-Okay, but why would the pages be ripped out if there wasn’t something suspicious going on?”

“Paul, for the last time, it’s because they were unreliable-”

“But unreliable things stay in books all of the time Artie! There are still books out there that say that evolution isn’t real, or have cars with no seatbelts, or mention that tomatoes are poisonous, or-”

“Okay, Paul I get it, but those are fiction, or people know that they’re disproven.”

“Not always!”

The Schue-Hoyrns have been going at it like that for upwards of an hour now, and Madison was stuck right in the middle.

“And why would the pages be covered in blood if it wasn’t supernatural or creepy?”

“We don’t even know that it was blood! It could have been anything! Maybe Quinn borrowed it and spilled some marinara sauce on it or something.”

“Artie, you _saw_ those pages. That was blood.”

Artemis just set her jaw and crossed her arms for a moment, before just getting up quickly and making her way to their room. Madison got up to follow her but got stopped by Paul, who put his hand on her arm. 

“Don’t. Let her cool off for a minute. Sometimes she gets like this. She’ll come down in a little bit once she calms down and it’ll be fine.”

Madison stole one last glance at the stairwell and sat down again. Even though she knew Paul was right, she still felt like a bad friend for not checking on her.

“Has she always been like this?”

“More or less,” Paul shrugged. “We’re both very stubborn, especially because we’re Tauruses.”

Madison smiled, “The bull sign?”

“Yep.” Paul did finger guns at her. “Kind, reliable, devoted, responsible, stable, but also very stubborn and uncompromising.”

“It’s funny how different and yet how similar you two are,” Madison remarked. “Where Artie is organized and on time, tends to stress a lot, and is very detail-oriented, you tend to look on the bright side of life and are more laid back. And your demeanors are very different too- you just seem like a great, cuddly teddy bear and Artie feels like if you tried to get too close she would stab you- at first glance anyway. I know she has a soft interior.”

“You are very correct about that. She can be so mushy sometimes, I swear.”

“You and Artemis make a very good team. You balance each other out.”  
  


“Yin and Yang.

“What is that?”

“It’s uh-” Paul struggled to find the words to describe whatever yin and yang was. “Hold on, let me collect my thoughts real quick-”

“Take your time.” 

After a moment of thinking, Paul remembered- “Okay, so it’s like an ancient Chinese philosophy on the duality of life.” He took out a pen and drew a circle on a napkin. He created a line down the middle so it was a bit like a curved teardrop, and put two circles on either side of the line, coloring one side black and one hole black. Direct opposites. “They balance each other out. One cannot exist without the other.”

Interesting. Madison grabbed the napkin and looked at it. It was a very interesting idea and made a lot of sense. It was at this moment that Artemis came back down the stairs and sat down next to Madison in the booth. She was much more relaxed and plopped a Hershey’s kiss down in front of Paul. 

“A peace offering. I’m sorry for getting so mad and not listening to you.”

Paul took it gladly and popped it into his mouth, shaking his sister’s hand. “Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for pushing you like that.” 

They smiled at each other and went back to chatting light-heartedly, but Madison felt that sad pang in her chest that made it feel tight and uncomfortable. It made her jealous to see them get along so easily. She missed when Ryan and her would make up and just go back to being best friends. She would never let them know, of course. She didn’t want to make them feel bad for making her upset, but it did remind her of her own relationship with her brother. Madison wondered if the Schue-Hoyrns never came to their little town, would Ryan still be here? But then, she would have never met them at all. You can’t have the good without the bad, Madison supposed. Yin and yang.


	7. Paul and his Werewolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis is mad at Paul, and Madison is mad at Jerimiah. And then the worst happens. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY got this chapter out. I've had the next chapter done for weeks, but I've just been stuck on this one. Anyway, here it is! It's here!

Madison woke up feeling depressed for no reason again. Well, that’s actually not true. She knew the reason perfectly well, as did everyone else, but saying aloud or even acknowledging it in her head meant accepting it, and she just wasn’t ready for that. The gloom that was normally contained in her chest had wormed its way up to her mind, making her foggy and irritable for the whole day. She barely had enough energy to swing her legs over the side of her bed and force herself to take care of her basic needs. All Madison wanted to do was crawl back under the covers and fall back asleep for a couple of hours, at  _ least _ . Her friends would scold her though- not for being sad but for not taking care of herself. So she got dressed, brushed her teeth, had a banana for breakfast, and headed out for the day. She mindlessly walked her way over to the Dead Canary, placing one foot in front of the other until she heard the familiar chatter of the twins coming from inside and the welcoming warmth from the fire hit her face and warmed her cheeks. She considered walking over to them for a moment, before deciding that she shouldn’t bother them at that moment. They were deep in conversation, discussing something serious in hushed voices. She overheard Artemis mention werewolves and she smiled in spite of herself. Paul and his werewolves. 

The sense of happiness was short-lived, as the cloud moved back in front of the metaphorical sun and she felt dull and gray again. Better not drag them down. 

Instead, she took a seat on a barstool and called over Desmond to get her a drink.

“How’ve you been feeling?” Desmond asked with surprising softness. It almost bothered Madison, being talked to like she was fragile and could break at any moment (he was correct: she could break at any moment but just didn’t want to admit it to herself). 

“Could you just give me something to take the edge off, please?” It came out sharper than she intended, and Madison felt bad. “I’m sorry- I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

Desmond just nodded good-naturedly and smiled at her, handing her a glass of brandy which she took gratefully. She took a sip, but Desmond wouldn’t stop staring at her, eyebrow raised and expectant. 

“Ugh, fine.” Madison gave in, “I’ve been feeling pretty awful recently.” Once he got what he wanted, Desmond resumed his work cleaning glasses and continued to listen.

“I feel like I shouldn’t be grieving anymore, but I  _ am _ . It’s like- you know what it’s like?” She took another drink, “It’s like you’re given this pass for the first week of grieving that says that it’s fine if you’re in a bad mood or cry randomly, but after that, it’s a burden and unacceptable for you to feel crappy because of it. Like you should be over it. Ya know?”

Desmond nodded knowingly. “If it’s any consolation,” he looked up from the glass he was cleaning, “I can assure you that no one here thinks that, and that what you’re going through right now is completely normal.”

Madison snorted and took another drink just as Jeremiah the preacher walked in through the front door.

“Ah, Ms. Sheriff Reynolds!” Oh god. Madison was not in the mood for him right now.

“I hope you’ve reconsidered holding Ryan’s service at the Church.” He smiled innocently as if he hadn’t been bugging her about this or the past week. Maybe it was the alcohol, but suddenly, Madison snapped. 

“Oh back off! Alright? We are  _ not _ holding my brother’s service at the Church, Jeremiah! We’re not religious!” A lump rose in her throat and her next words came out strangled. “We are lightin’ him aflame, and we are pushin’ him off into the sea, as was his last request.”

“Sheriff?” Desmond, always the voice of reason, reappeared and regarded her gently. “I think you’ve had a little bit too much to drink, okay?” He reached out and grabbed her half-empty glass of brandy. “This ain’t a fight you want to start-”

Jerimiah interrupted Desmond, “No, my son. We are all equal in the eyes of God.”

Madison just huffed in disbelief. The  _ nerve _ of this man sometimes.

“Let her hit a holy man if she must-”

Madison got up from her chair quickly and got so close to his face that she could smell the musty church smell on him. She was  _ this _ close to socking him upside his holy jaw.  _ This. Close. _ He flinched back and braced himself.

He swallowed, “But only if she must.” 

After a brief but intense battle in her head, she decided he wasn’t worth it. She grabbed her hat and pushed by him as passive-aggressively as possible. In the distance, she heard a faded “Another victory for the good word,” come from his mouth. She slammed the door behind her and stormed off into the woods. She’d pay Desmond later.

For as wonderful as Jerimiah can be sometimes, other times he just doesn’t know when to stop. The dude could really learn where to draw the line. Maybe Madison wouldn’t mind going to church every once in a while if Jerimiah wasn’t so preachy. In fact, Madison had nothing against religion and the people who practiced it in general. It was the Jerimiahs who just pushed and _pushed_ and **_pushed_** , that kept her away from it. Plus, she really did want to honor her brother’s last wish. He always talked about wanting a Viking funeral, and Madison supposed it was a fitting way to go for the man who went against the grain and was slightly erratic and always enjoyed nature more than people. Madison smiled to herself. It didn’t hurt so much thinking about Ryan now. It was thinking about how he- how he’s-- Madison couldn’t say it. She kicked at the dirt under her feet with frustration, watching as the dust flew up around her legs and drifted off into the wind. She kept walking, taking the longest and path around to give herself plenty of time to think and cool off. By the time she reached Miner Mole, Madison had sobered up thanks to the cool October air and was ambling along cheerfully. Suddenly, the heavy metal door of Miner Mole Inc. slammed close, and out came Artemis Schue-Hoyrn, jaw clenched and arms crossed, moving determinedly towards the town. 

“Artemis!” Madison called out instinctively. 

She whipped around, her eyes fierce and sharp, but quickly, her facial features softened and her arms loosened.

“Madison.” If Madison wasn’t sure that Artemis thought of her only as a friend, she would have sworn that she heard relief in her voice.

“You okay? You look pretty wound up.”

Artemis scoffed and shook her head, setting her jaw again. “It’s Paul. God, I love my brother, and I know he has ADD but it can be so FRUSTRATING sometimes. I ask him to do one thing- interview the people in the waiting area and what does he ask this poor man about?”

Madison and Artemis spoke simultaneously, “werewolves.”

Madison chuckled for a moment. “Yeah, he really loves his werewolves.” 

Artemis snorts, but it's devoid of humor. “You’re telling me. He’s been obsessed with them since he was a kid. He's hyper fixated on it. Well, that and Detective Dark.”

Madison smiled as she thought about Paul and all of his silly and endearing antics. “You can’t live with him, you can’t live without him.” 

This time, Artemis actually laughed. “No kidding.” She sighed and dropped her arms to her side. “I love Paul so much, and I try to do everything I can to help him concentrate and remember, and he usually does so well, but whenever he doesn’t it’s just so frustrating. And I know he’s not trying to do it, and I know he’s trying, but still.”

Madison nodded silently. She wishes she knew more about ADHD as a whole. All her life, it was portrayed as nothing more than memory loss, not being able to pay attention in class, bouncing off the walls, stuff like that. But the more she talks to Artemis and Paul, the more she learns about it. Paul has opened up to her about his anxiety and self-esteem issues because of it, and Artemis has talked about how it can be really hard for him to express ideas clearly because his brain moves faster than his mouth, among other things. She had to learn how to be patient and how to rephrase things and remind him about things more often. She glanced back over at Artemis to find her still matching her stride and her hands buried deep in her pockets. 

“Hey Artie, you wanna do something real quick?”

Artemis looked up with surprise and answered after a moment. “Sure! What are we doing?”

“There's this really beautiful place along these trails that no one else really knows about. It has a creek running by it and it’s super peaceful. I go there a lot to calm down when I’m really angry. Do you want to see it?”

“Oh, that sounds so pretty! Absolutely!”

Madison took her hand and ran off, showing her all of the secret pathways and shortcuts to get where you need to be, before stopping in a small clearing. The sun rays filtered in through the trees and the grass under their feet hadn’t died yet because of the small creek that ran right down the middle. A few of the last flowers bloomed along the banks, and the gentle gurgle of the water as it flowed over small pebbles could be heard over the distant tweeting of birds. It was at this moment that Madison realized that they were still holding hands, and she felt a blush rise up to her cheeks. She quickly released her hand and coughed awkwardly, but when she looked over at Artemis the nervous bubble in her chest popped. Her eyes were wide open and sparkled in the sunlight, the blue-gray turning into a beautiful baby blue, and her mouth was open in awe, lips plush and- nope, nope. Stop it. Don’t think like that. 

She lay down on the moss beneath them and closed her eyes, soaking in the sun as it warmed her skin and listened to the stream as it flowed past and the slight rustle of the leaves in the trees as a gentle breeze moved through them. After a moment, she heard Artemis shifting and opened her eyes to find her right beside her, laying down so close that if Madison moved over an inch, their arms would be touching. Her skin tingled from the near contact, so she closed her eyes and pretended she didn’t notice. When she opened her eyes again, Artemis was resting beside her. Her eyes were closed, and she looked so peaceful, a smile on her lips and her cheeks and nose dusted rose because of the cold. Suddenly, Artemis opened her eyes and looked over at Madison.

“Thoughts?” Madison managed to say, as evenly as possible. 

Artemis closed her eyes again and rested her head on her arms, lounging back into the ground. “Peaceful. Wonderful.”

Madison laid back down next to her and closed her eyes again. “Good.”

They sat in silence, admiring the beautiful blue sky as it turned to a deep red. That’s a little odd. There aren’t many deep red sunsets in Connor Creek. Not that Madison’s complaining though, it was beautiful. The light blue faded into a yellow and then orange before the blood-red peaked up from behind the mountains, giving the sky a gorgeous gradient effect. Artemis’s phone rang and interrupted their peace, startling both girls. Artemis groaned comically and dragged herself up, walking over to where she put her purse. By the time she got there, she had missed the call, but there was a voicemail. 

“Sorry, I have to check this. I’ll be back in a minute.” Artemis said sympathetically, ducking just out of view behind a tree. Madison sat in silence for a few seconds longer before Artemis came bursting out of the brush frantically. Her eyes were wild with fear and worry, and the sight sunk her heart into her stomach. 

“What happened?” Madison got up quickly and rushed over to her.

“It’s Paul.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :O  
> Tune in next time to learn what happened to Paul!


	8. It didn't feel like enough, but it was all she could do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis and Madison see Paul for the first time after the accident, and Madison has to go and investigate Prism's murder and Paul's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter is a lot. Lots of blood, corpses are very lovingly described, gorey, and also pretty emotionally heavy. If you're worried you can't read this chapter, a summary of it will be in the notes at the bottom of the page. :)

Madison and Artemis sat anxiously in the Dead Canary as they waited for the prognosis on Paul. All that they knew was that Paul had been attacked and he was in bad shape, but he was alive. The fear of not knowing is sometimes worse than actually knowing. Even if it’s something horrible, at least you know what you’re working with. And not knowing what was going on with Paul was eating Madison up from the inside out. She could only imagine how Artemis felt, her brother severely injured and not knowing what happened to him. It must be even worse for her because of her need to know. Artemis gets restless when she can’t figure out what is happening or what happened. And now it’s personal to her as well. Neither woman said anything, they just sat in utter silence, and every once in a while Artemis would sniffle and rub her cheek with her sleeve. 

After about 20 minutes of waiting, Desmond poked his head out of the door.

“You two can come in now. I’m warning you, it’s not very pretty.” 

  
Artemis nodded and stood up. She paused for a moment and asked tentatively, “Can we-”

Her hand moved tentatively towards Madison’s. 

Madison’s heart did a flip in her chest as she realized what she was asking, but slid her hand into Artie’s. It was cold and clammy, but Madison didn’t mind. Their hands fit together perfectly and her entire hand felt like it was on fire from the contact.

Artemis clenched Madison’s hand tightly, and she had to remind herself that this is because she needed comforting.  _ You’re her friend. She’s not interested in you like that. Her brother just almost died. We don’t know if he’s going to make it! _ Still, the thoughts persisted, and Madison had to force her heart rate to slow to an acceptable rhythm. But as soon as they entered the room, Artemis’s hand in hers quickly left her mind.

The sight in front of her and Artemis was grisly, to say the least. He had his shirt taken off, and a deep gash that reached from the top of his right shoulder all the way to his armpit, and was at least an inch in diameter. The flesh was torn and the cut was uneven, which was odd. What would have created such a cut? It wasn’t clean like a knife, it almost looked animalistic, how the skin and muscle layers were exposed to the air in an uneven fashion. And that wasn’t the worst part. Blood was all over his body, and it leaked from his wound and down his arm and side, creating a small puddle on the towel that Dr. Henry placed underneath him. His curly hair was plastered to his forehead with blood and sweat, and he was unconscious- the face that was usually rosy and jovial was pale and twisted in pain. If it wasn’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest, Madison would have thought that he was dead. Artemis inhaled with a shudder next to her, and Madison gently squeezed her hand again in the hopes that it would comfort her. She could tell that Artemis was trying so hard to keep it together, and she had to hand it to her, she certainly is good at controlling her emotions. When she finally spoke, it came out collected and even- not at all what would be expected when looking at your brother after a brutal attack.

“How is he?”

Dr. Henry looked up from mopping up the blood and spoke evenly and without slurring his words. Wow. This must be serious. 

“He seems to be okay. He’s alive, which is a miracle, and his heart rate and breathing are steady.”

Artemis nodded and finally let go of the breath she had been holding for the last minute or so. Dr. Henry turned his attention to Madison and said “May I speak to you a moment?” 

Madison nodded and gave one final squeeze of Artemis’s hand before letting go and walking outside the door so they could speak in private.

“So, as you know, Paul was attacked.” 

Madison nodded in agreement but was cut off by Dr. Henry.

“Someone else was attacked- Bethany Hearst. Or, uh- what’s her name- Prism. When we arrived at the scene, she was already gone.”

Madison’s heart sank into her stomach. Two attacks in one night? One of which killed someone? Madison sighed and closed her eyes. This was a lot to process.

“Unfortunately, I have to ask you to go and investigate, clean up, cover the body, etc. Rita will meet you there.” Dr. Henry put a hand on her arm to try to comfort her but ended up just covering her jacket sleeve with blood. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to- forgot about that.”

“It’s fine. This is washable anyway.” 

He waved her off as a dismissal and disappeared back into the room with a creak of the door. Quiet murmuring could be heard drifting in from the other room, but Madison had a job to do. Silently, she stuck her hands in her pockets and walked outside, turning her back to the cold October wind. It was cold and dreary, and the leaves were wet and gross from the recent rain. Combined with the setting sun and cloudy sky, it was a fitting day for a murder. As she walked, her boots squelched in the mud running down the side of the road and approached Prism’s cabin. 

Even though she was the law of the town, not much happened in Connor Creek except for the occasional animal death. So she sure as rain was not prepared for the sight that laid before her. Prism’s body was laying on the floor in the doorway between the front and backroom of her office. The curtains that separate the two rooms were torn and had fallen over her body, soaking up some of the blood that pooled out of her. There was furniture that was strewn around the room, blood soaking into the cushions and staining the chairs. Obviously, there was a fight of some sort. The various bits and bobbles on her desk that would “tell the future” had been broken or were just plain smashed. The crystal ball she loved so dearly existed only as an assortment of broken glass on the floor.

But the cards laid untouched. Upon closer inspection, every card had the word “Death” on it in big bold lettering. The little drawings on the cards were different too. The first one featured a human skull but as more cards were laid out, animalistic features became present, until the original skull was no longer visible, and a wolf’s head took its place. Strange. Madison didn’t know much about tare-ot cards or whatever they were called, but she knew enough to know that this was not normal. She quickly jotted down the information in her notebook and continued looking. For a few minutes, it was just Madison in the room. Completely silent except for the scratching of pencil on paper and the sticky sound her footsteps made from the blood as she walked across the room. 

“Such a shame.” 

Madison jumped and reached for the gun that sat on her right hip, and turned around to face the door.

“Rita you scared the devil outta me. You need to try announcing your arrival for a change.” Madison said in exasperation. “I could have shot ya!”

Rita shrugged and crouched down next to Prism’s body, taking off the fabric and unveiling the horrific sight.

“Poor thing. Such a promising young woman.” 

Madison could only nod in response because if she opened her mouth she was afraid that she would vomit. Prism’s body was completely destroyed. Her eyes were open and had clouded over, but were stained red because of the blood running down her forehead and staining her corneas. From her ear to her temple had been sliced open and was mostly scabbed over around the edges, but was still angry and inflamed.

Her body was the worst though. Five large slashes ran across her abdomen, ripping her clothes and staining them a rich crimson color. The muscle and sinews were exposed in a revolting display of anatomy. The blood was still glistening from the buzzing light hanging from the ceiling, and a disgusting glob of dark red could be seen where the blood coagulated and blocked off most of the blood flow. How in the world did this happen? Who- or rather what- could have done this?  _ Just get it over with Madison. Finish the investigation and then you can leave.  _

Madison walked into the Dead Canary to find Dr. Henry slouched over on his usual stool with a drink of whisky in his hands instead of tending to Paul. She supposed that was a good thing since Dr. Henry (no matter how drunk) would never leave a patient’s side if he didn’t feel it was safe. 

Madison called out “Dr. Henry!” and trotted over to where he was sitting, and placed his report on the table next to him. “About ten major lacerations, twelve bruises, and countless tiny cuts all over her body. I think most of the blood on Paul was Prism’s. It was-- well let’s just say that it was not pretty.” She cleared her throat. “I’m going to go and check on Paul,” and turned around to walk away as quickly as possible before he could object to anything. She just needed to get out of there and somewhere she felt safe.

Madison opened the door to the Schue-Hoyrn's room, and Artemis’s head whipped around to see who was entering.

“Madison?”

Madison nodded and went to go and sit next to her. Artemis was sitting on a dining chair and holding her brother’s hand gently, rubbing her thumb across the top of his knuckles soothingly. Paul had been cleaned up, and the mass amounts of blood that covered his chest were gone and wiped clean. On top of that, his wound was bandaged carefully, wrapping around his shoulder and covering it up nicely. 

Artemis shuddered and said quietly “I can’t stay here tonight.” She looked up at Madison and looked so frightened. Her eyes were slightly red and her jaw was set as if she had been crying. 

“I just-” Artemis stopped for a second and collected herself. “I can’t--”

Madison interrupted and placed a hand on her shoulder to silence her. “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. Do you want to crash at my place tonight? My couch is super comfortable.” Wait- did she just invite Artemis to stay the night? She meant it totally innocently, but maybe Artemis won’t interpret it that way. Madison chewed on the inside of her cheek anxiously and waited for a response.

Artemis nodded weakly and hugged Madison tightly, much to her relief. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course!” Thank god. Crisis averted. 

Madison could understand why Artemis didn’t want to sleep in the same room as her injured brother. Seeing Ryan laying on the road like- that- was so difficult for her. It still is. Whenever she thinks about it too much--. She quickly banished that train of thought from her head and grabbed their coats from the coat rack so they could face the cold settling onto the little town outside. The two of them walked side by side on the street, illuminated only by the dim streetlights that hung from rusty lampposts overhead. Unfortunately, now Madison and Artemis had to walk  _ towards _ the wind, so they kept their heads low in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the gusts of air from whipping at their cheeks and leaving angry red marks. Even though no words were spoken between the two of them, the air around them contained an aura of sadness and unsaid words of comfort. Madison wanted so desperately to comfort her friend but didn’t know what to say.  _ I’m sorry your brother got attacked _ doesn’t really cut it in her mind. Since her own brother… left her… Madison has heard it all.  _ “I’m so sorry about your brother” _ or, _ “He was a good kid”,  _ they didn’t feel sincere. Words devoid of meaning- only said in an attempt to seem sympathetic. Worst of all was when unassuming citizens said  _ “He’s in a better place now. _ ” He was NOT in a better place now. He SHOULD be here. In Connor Creek. Tutoring Jewel in the Dead Canary, or playing chess on his porch with Sybillus. Not stored in some freezer in the back of Rita’s funeral home. For all of the words in the English language, Madison could not choose the correct ones to match her emotions and soothe her friend. So instead, she did the only thing she could come up with. Tentatively, she moved her hand closer to Artemis’s and clasped her hand around hers. With relief, she felt Artemis grab onto it and give it a squeeze in an unspoken form of communication.  _ Thank you. _

As soon as the door to Madison’s cabin closed behind them, Artemis collapsed on the couch and buried her face in her hands as quiet sobs racked her body. Madison had never seen her cry, and it was heartbreaking. Her hair fell weakly around her face as she gripped one of the pillows from the couch tightly to her chest, crying into it silently. The carefully crafted facade that Artemis had so skillfully put up crumbled around her. Madison walked over to sit next to her, and as soon as she sat on the couch Artemis abandoned the pillow for Madison. Her fingers gripped the back of her shirt as she latched on to her tightly, shaking into her shoulder. Madison should have been thrilled that Artemis was hugging her. That she was soothingly rubbing Artemis’s back and holding her close. That Artemis trusted her enough to cry in front of her. But she was too engulfed in grief and was truthfully quite shaken by what she had seen. She thought back to Prism’s cabin, and as her mind wandered, she thought about how lucky Paul was considering the circumstances. Prism was ripped to shreds. No one deserves that, especially a woman as sweet as her. Sure, she was a bit eccentric, but so was the rest of Connor Creek. She always had everyone’s best interests in mind and was the person to go to if you needed to talk. And now, she was gone. Her last moments must have been terrible. Looking up to find whatever it was, and then fighting to an inch of her life, only to die a horrible and painful death, bleeding out all by herself--

“You’re crying.” Artemis chokes out.

Madison pulled out of the hug to look at Artemis. “Huh?”

She touched her face to find that she had indeed been crying. Her face was warm and slick with tears, and the place where she rested her head on Artemis’s shoulder now had tear marks on it. 

“Oh-” Madison sniffed. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, embarrassed.

Artemis also wiped her cheeks with her sleeves, and sat up for a moment, before collapsing back into Madison’s arms. She shook and clung to her with all of her might, and Madison didn’t really know what to do. She wanted to make her feel better. She wanted to take away her pain and make her laugh and smile again, but that wasn’t possible. It didn’t feel like enough to stroke her hair and hold her tight while holding back her own tears, but it’s all that she could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot:  
> Madison and Artemis wait nervously in the Dead Canary for the okay to see Paul. When they go in to see him, Artemis asks to hold Madison's hand for support. They go in, and Paul has a huge cut on his shoulder and blood all over him. While Artemis spends some time with him alone, Dr. Henry pulls Madison aside to tell her that Prism was also attacked, and didn't make it. Madison has to go to Prism's shack to investigate and finds the place completely ruined and blood everywhere. When Rita arrives and pulls off the curtain covering Prism, Madison is shocked at how mutilated her body is. She quickly finishes up the investigation and leaves as soon as possible. She reports back to Dr. Henry and goes in to see Artemis and Paul again. Artemis had been crying and says that she can't spend the night in their room because it'll be too hard for her. Madison understands and offers to let Artie sleep on her couch for the night. She agrees, and they go back to Madison's place, where Artemis cries in front of Madison for the first time. The chapter ends with them crying together and Madison trying her best to comfort her friend.
> 
> Well, that's it for this chapter! It was a lot of fun to write, ngl. Shoutout to my friend Eric for lending me photos from his Forensics class to base their wounds off of. It was a lot of help!
> 
> :DD


	9. Feelings are hard.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul wakes up, and Madison learns more about Artemis and Paul's childhood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no notes for this chapter. Enjoy! :)
> 
> TW/CW: Mention of a fatal car crash and the foster system. That's about it.

When Madison woke up the next morning, Artemis had been replaced by a small post-it note on the counter written in small and neat handwriting. 

> _ "Went to the Dead Canary to see Paul. He woke up. I’ll be back soon to give you an update. Thank you for letting me stay the night. I owe you. -Artemis" _

The rest of the morning was stressful and consisted of Madison anxiously pacing back and forth in her kitchen while nursing a cup of coffee. She didn’t have to wait long for Artemis to return- she had slept in a bit that day and Artemis had gotten up early. 

Artemis came in the front door sluggishly, taking off her shoes and slinging her coat on the couch. 

“How is he?” 

“Fine. He’s awake and responsive. Dr. Henry says that he’ll be okay.” Artemis let out a long breath and collapsed onto the couch dramatically. 

“You know when you’re super-stressed and you don’t even realize it, so when that stress finally lifts you just feel tired and emotionally drained?”

“All the time,” Madison responded curtly, finishing off her coffee and moving to sit next to Artemis. They sat in silence for a moment.

“I’m glad that Paul is going to be okay.” 

Artemis just huffed in response and sat up. “I don’t even want to think about if he wasn’t.”

“It’s just-” Artemis looked away for a moment before continuing. “Paul and I have always been there for each other. We spent a lot of time floating around the foster system when we were young. We didn’t really have anyone to rely on except for each other. Everyone else was temporary. Even our social worker, Floyd, who is still one of the most wonderful people Paul and I have ever met, was limited on how often he could visit us. I don’t show it a lot but Paul’s like a part of me. I couldn’t exist without him.”   
  


Madison folded her hands in her lap and spoke quietly, “Yin and Yang.”

Artemis smiled and chuckled softly. “Exactly.” Her face fell again. “I’m just so afraid of losing him.”

Madison hesitated over her next words. The human curiosity in her wanted to know why she was placed in the foster system with her brother. She had mentioned her mom and dad before, so she had always assumed that the Schue-Hoyrn twins lived an average life. This new revelation spurred forth the little rock of curiosity that sunk in her stomach and bit on her tongue. How are you supposed to ask such a sensitive question?

“You’re wondering why Paul and I were placed in the foster system, aren’t you?”

Madison sputtered helplessly, debating between telling the truth and admitting to being nosy and lying and saying no. She eventually gave up and nodded her head sheepishly. Luckily, Artemis just laughed good-naturedly and placed a gentle hand on her arm.

“Really, it’s fine. It’s a legitimate question. Paul and I lived with our parents until we were about 10 and we all got into a car crash. I still have the scar. See?” Artemis lifted up her shirt just a little bit to show the line over her hip, and Madison was torn between horror at her friend’s misfortune and flustered at the sight of her bare stomach, however stupid it seemed. Artemis put back down her shirt. “Paul and I are very different- you’ve noticed this by now- and so we deal with that in different ways. I’ve always gotten car sick, but after that, it just got way worse. I refuse to drive and I get really tense in cars. I mean, I have my driver's license but I just refuse to use it.”

“Paul on the other hand took on the role of a caregiver- kind of. He tries to cheer me up and make me less stressed in the car,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “which may or may not help a little bit, but I would never let him know that.” She winked and Madison’s heart did a little somersault. She sighed and waved her hand in the air dismissively, “But I digress. The point is because we were 10, no one really wanted to adopt us. We floated our way from foster home to foster home. Paul and I were definitely lucky though. You always hear these horror stories of bad foster parents and bad social workers, but everyone we came in contact with was lovely. It just- wasn’t meant to be I guess.”

Madison couldn’t believe all of that happened to them. She knew that Artemis didn’t want pity or sympathy or any of that, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly bad for her. “I can’t believe you can just talk about what happened so casually!” She realized that sounded harsh and backtracked, “And I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. It’s just…” 

Artemis sat forward, “I know. I guess it’s just because it happened so long ago. It still hurts once in a while, and when it does, it hurts just as bad as it did back then. But now, I can talk about them without bursting into tears. It took a while, but I’ve come to terms with it, for the most part. The extensive therapy helped a lot, too.” She joked, and Madison couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Still,” Artemis continued, “I understand how hard it is to lose someone close to you.”   
  


Madison shook her head and lowered her gaze. “It just feels so awful. I feel angry and sad all of the time, and like nothing will ever be okay again.” Madison choked back the tears that threatened to spill out. “I lost both of my parents too a couple of years ago, and that was to natural causes. They were old, and that hurt really bad, but for some reason, not as bad as Ryan. He was- He was only 3 years older than me. He was 31. He had so much life to live, and-” The hot lump in her throat rose up into her mouth and made it hard to speak, causing that awful distortion that happened when you try to not cry and talk. “I guess that just makes it hurt more, ya know? Why him? Why my brother, the kindest and most generous soul I’ve ever had the honor of meeting? He was the last person I had.”

“You have me,” Artemis said tentatively. Madison rose her eyes to look at Artemis, and her heart lurched in her chest. She was so close. She could see each individual freckle dotting her cheeks and nose, and the way the corners of her lips turned upwards sympathetically. They were holding hands (when did that happen?) and Artemis’s eyes were so full of comfort and understanding, all Madison had to do was lean in and-  _ Nope. Nope. Stop it Madison. _

Instead, she broke the tension and looked away, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. “I reckon you’re right,” she chuckled. She shook out her hands in an attempt to shake out all of her emotions. “Gah, emotions.” She deadpanned, and much to her delight, Artemis laughed. 

“I know, right?”

“Sorry about making this about me again. I really need to stop with the Madison Reynolds pity-party.”

“Madison, it’s okay. You’re still healing. Things are shitty right now. It’s completely normal to feel like that. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to feel happy one moment and depressed the next. It’s okay to feel. And even though it hurts really bad now, it will get better. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or in a week, or a month, or even a year. Things aren’t going to go back to the way it was. But life moves forwards and it will be okay  _ in the end _ .” 

Madison looked at Artemis. “That has to have been the wisest thing anyone has ever said to me, Artemis Schue-Hoyrn.”

She shrugged, ”I didn’t come up with it. It’s from an inspirational quotes Twitter account I follow.”

“I have no clue what that is.”

“It’s a social media thing.” Artemis patted her hand and rose, stretching her arms over her head. “Come on, let’s go for a walk. I need some fresh air.” 

“Agreed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tad bit short, but important none the less. Hopefully, I'll get back to slightly longer chapters once I'm doing better emotionally (and also more inspired lol).


	10. Town Council meetings and-- Big Dogs?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm giving up on summaries. This is what you're getting.  
> \- Town Council  
> \- Uh oh, gay  
> \- Desmond  
> \- Whoops, Werewolves
> 
> also sorry I absolutely suck at naming things. the server braincell is currently not in my possession so---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silas is disgusting in this chapter as always. So watch out for him. 
> 
> Uhhhh other than that- have fun!

The beginning of November was always Madison’s least favorite time of year. It was cold and wet, and unlike October, all of the leaves were brown and turned the world into underwhelming shades of browns and grays. At least there was the promise of snow that hung in the air.

Madison walked in a little bit late to the town meeting, her jangling keys and heavy boots breaking the silence that hung in the air. She didn’t even care about being quiet, though. This was going to be the first town council meeting after Ryan passed, and they were bound to bring him up again. As she sat down, she stole a glance at Artemis, who was looking back at her, and both women quickly looked away again. 

Sybillus started the meeting. “Well, moving on to official business. Since the candidate Ryan Reynolds has recently been murder- die- passed on, the other candidate for the empty Town Council seat has been left to run unopposed.” 

Madison felt her blood boil at the mere mention of her brother’s fate and she leaned forwards in her seat. Artemis had her microphone out and was recording the meeting with squinted eyes. She felt the knot in her chest loosen a little bit at the sight of her, before returning her attention to the town council meeting going on.

“And in accordance with local ordinance 2-4-7-4, if no opposing candidate is present, there shall be no need for a vote.” Sybillus smiled warmly, but the sentiment was not shared by Madison. 

“We, therefore, are happy- honored- delighted- required to swear in Miss Truman Hensley to the new town council.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Madison saw Artemis’s eyes narrow further and her jaw set in a tell-tale sign of annoyance. 

“Miss Hensley, would you like to say a few words before we do it? Uh… make it happen… commence?”

Truman walked forward confidently (much to Madison’s annoyance) and stood on top of the stage, and spoke loudly. “Thank you so much, Council Member Silver, for that eloquent introduction.” Sybillus grinned with pride, but Madison couldn’t help but feel like she was making fun of him. 

  
  


“When I first laid eyes on Connor Creek two years ago--” 

Madison groaned loudly, interrupting Truman rudely. Normally, Madison is all for manners, but something about the way that she was speaking about her town just rubbed her the wrong way. She looked around innocently and caught Artemis’s eye to find that she was forcing down a smile.

Truman picked back up her act and continued “I knew that I had found a town like no other! Never in all my years had I met folks as hardworking, yet warm, simple, yet sophisticated.”

Madison chewed on the inside of her cheek absentmindedly as her rage grew. Who was this woman? Coming into Connor Creek and claiming to know them?

“As a young girl, my father instilled in me our family’s greatest creed: ‘Above all else, never settle!’” She spoke loudly and paused as if she was expecting applause or some sort of medal, but when neither came she continued with that same sickly warmth, “and I see the spirit of my family here in you. As the backbone of our community, small businesses have worked to create a rich and thriving local culture. But that doesn’t mean that we should scoff at the value of corporations entering our small economy. Let’s bridge the divide between us. The way forward is together!” 

Ags apparently thought that her speech was over and started clapping, but stopped abruptly once she noticed that it wasn’t.

“And even though I find myself in the unfortunate position of winning this election as the result of tragedy, I feel extremely blessed that many of you banded together in support of the Truman for Connor Creek Campaign!”

How  _ DARE _ she. How dare she mention her brother like he was nothing? Like all that he did was allow her to win? And then came the straw that broke the camel’s back-

“Together, we will restore this town to its former glory, and make the original founders and the Reynold’s boy… PROUD!”

Madison stood up abruptly. “No, no no, to heck with that! I grew up here and I dedicated my life to servin’ these folks. Don’t pretend like you know us, okay? You don’t. … Okay?” 

Shoot. She didn’t really know where she was going with this, so Madison settled on crossing her arms and staring down Truman. The worst thing was how she was treating Madison. Like she was a petulant child, stomping her feet in a grocery store because she couldn’t get some candy. 

Madison was stomping her feet in the grocery store because she insulted her town, insulted her, and mostly- insulted her  _ brother _ . Her speech may not have been eloquent, but at least it was real and from the heart. 

Madison was startled by the sound of a chair scraping across the floor and someone getting up to see Artemis had stood up and was looking right at her. 

Artemis spoke like she was rallying people together, but was regarding Madison. “Then why don’t you run in your brother’s stead?”

Madison glanced over to Truman to see her face fall. 

And oh, how satisfying that was.

“Sheriff Reynolds for Town Council!” Artemis continued.

Madison nodded her head and took a breath. “Okay, Ummm…”

It would be extremely satisfying to beat Hensley. And how could she say no to Artemis? Her eyes were wide with fear, but also encouragement and belief. She couldn’t let Artemis down.

“Okay! I will be replacing my brother on the ballot.” Truman glared daggers at both Madison and Artemis, and the pride that had sprouted in her chest didn’t wither at the sight. Instead, it grew stronger still, and Madison became more determined to win the seat for her brother. “So, tomorrow’s election is back on. See you at the polls.” And with that, Madison walked out, her chin high and a spring in her step. She was also followed by Odie-Doty, who was probably off to deliver more mail.

Madison walked all the way to the Dead Canary, where she pulled out a napkin and asked Desmond for a pen, and started writing her acceptance speech. An hour or so later, she heard the familiar lilting voice of Artemis from behind her.

“Quinn, could I get an order of fries or something for Paul?” Artemis sat down next to Madison.

“Fries?” Quinn asked in an almost accusatory voice.

“Geez, um, truffle fries? With an avocado aioli?” 

“C’est Magnifique!” Quinn chuckled, and he walked into the back to work on his glorified fries. Desmond smiled amusedly at his husband as he walked by him. 

Artemis took a deep breath and placed her hands on the table in front of her.

“Madison, I am so sorry for throwing you under the bus earlier,” she apologized.

“What? No way!” Madison turned to look at Artemis, full of glee and adrenaline. “You threw me on top of the bus, and I am riding that all the way to victory!” 

“You sure this is the safest course of action? I mean, we don’t know yet what happened to Ryan, and that same person could have targeted Prism-” Artemis was rambling now. 

“Artemis, I am the law of this town. I am fully capable of investigating these murders, and running a last-minute campaign for town council! Plus,” she held up her napkin proudly, “I’m almost done with my victory speech.” Every square inch was covered with black ink, scrawled on messily and words written in every which direction. Madison saw a smile form on Artemis’s face and her eyes soften a bit. She put her napkin back down and leaned on her hand, looking at Artemis’s face intently. Madison’s heart skipped a beat as she saw Artemis’s eyes flick down towards her mouth and then back up to her eyes, and it basically stopped when Artemis tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear.  _ Oh my god. Am I alive? Is this really happening? _

Subconsciously, both women started leaning forwards, and the air left Madison’s lungs. They were so close, and all Madison had to do was move an inch, before-

Desmond slammed two drinks right next to them, startling the two women into pulling back and looking away from each other. Artemis took a sip of her beer and Desmond could be heard chuckling behind the bar, cleaning a glass absentmindedly. Madison’s face turned red, and she turned away to avoid any eye contact.  _ This is so awkward _ . She took a sip of her own beer and placed it down, fiddling with her thumbs in uncomfortable silence.

After many minutes of not making eye contact and sipping on their drinks, Artemis said, “Miner Mole is backing Truman’s campaign. When big money gets involved, people get ruthless! I’m not sure if you’ve been up against anything like this before-”

  
  


“You’re right about that.” A southern voice appeared from behind them. Silas Torsen swaggered up to the bar and leaned on it, smirking. “She hasn’t.” 

He suddenly turned his attention to Desmond, who just stared daggers at him. “Barkeep, can I get a flute of your finest champagne?” 

Desmond turned away reluctantly, but not before flipping the bird at him. Desmond was a good man.

Silas turned back towards Madison and Artemis and narrowed in on Artemis.

  
“This town,” He practically spat.

Artemis just hummed and smiled. “I bet you’re pissed your puppet doesn’t have a clean shot at council anymore.”

Madison laughed. Artemis had such a way with words. Her wit and quips were some of her favorite things about her. 

“Oh, oh the contrary. We’re actually looking forward to crushing you tomorrow.”

Madison’s face fell and she felt that red hot magma ball rise in her chest. 

“Pretty soon, we’ll all be drowning in silver. Oh, it’s a pity your brother couldn't be here to see the mining begin! What was his name… Brian? Or was it Burt-”

“Burt Reynolds was my father’s name,” Madison spoke sharply, pointing her pen semi-threateningly at his lavish white suit. 

“And he taught my brother and me to stand up to bullies like you. Now I’m not sure if you had anything to do with Ryan’s death, but I swear to gosh, I’m going to find out. And tomorrow when the good people in this town vote me into office, it’s gonna be that much easier. So you better go and pack up your bags and get the heck out of Connor Creek!”

She was rambling at this point, letting all of the venom and anger and hatred out on this pitiful excuse for a man.

‘Cause your fancy drinkin’, too clean cowboy boot-wearing--  _ ass _ , isn’t wanted here.” She looked over to Artemis with triumph, and Artemis was looking just as pleased, her eyes smiling again and her real smile on her face. Not the one that she put on for Silas when he first arrived.

Artemis and Madison looked back towards Silas when he whistled at them.

“Damn.” He chuckled. “Ya know I would say to smile more, but uh…” He smiled sickenly, “I like this look on ya.” 

Madison’s jaw dropped to the floor. He was so disgusting. She could tell that Artemis felt the same by the way she crossed her arms and glowered at him, daring him to say anything else. 

“You too, actually. Little Miss campaign manager.” He pointed at Artemis and she tilted her head. If looks could kill, Silas would be nothing more than a pile of ashes on the floor. 

“So much for impartial journalism.” And then he  _ winked _ .

Simultaneously, Artemis and Madison picked up their drinks and splashed Silas with them, drenching his expensive coat and leaving him dripping. He sputtered with surprise, and stared at both women incredulously.

Madison had been friends with Artemis long enough to know when she needed to cool off and leave her be, so once Artemis got up and announced that she needed some fresh air and promptly left the establishment, Madison made no attempt to follow her despite the longing she felt to do so. Instead she turned back to Silas and glared at him pointedly. 

“Anything left to say or are you done being misogynistic.”

Silas tried to smile but was more of a grimace and he gathered his things and stood up. “I think that’s my cue to leave.” He nodded curtly, sauntering out of the Dead Canary, muttering insults and stereotypes about women and small-town folk along the way.

Madison sighed deeply and asked Desmond for another beer. He nodded warmly and produced one rather quickly from behind the bar. 

He slid her drink over to her. “So… Artemis, huh?”

Madison almost spat out her drink and made eye contact with Desmond. “How could you tell?”

“Come on, Madison. I’m not blind. I have eyes. You two have basically been checking each other out at every moment possible.”   
  


“We have not!” Madison protested. 

“Your chats at the booth in the back? Your walks together? The town hall meetings?”

“You don’t even go to those, Desmond.”

“Quinn does.” He pointed out. “Plus, then there was right before Silas came in.”

Madison was bright red at this point. Gosh, was she really that obvious?

“Okay fine. Maybe I like Artemis. But there’s no way she could ever like me back.”

Desmond just stared at her, utterly confused. “Madison. You two hold hands all the time. Have you seen the way that Artemis looks at you?”

Madison shook her head. “Desmond, girls hold hands all the time. That doesn’t mean she likes me.”

“Artemis doesn’t,” Desmond said simply. 

After a moment of silence, Madison said, “Artemis doesn’t what?”

“Artemis doesn’t hold hands with anyone else. She doesn’t hug anyone else, she barely even talks to anyone else.”

“That’s not true! She spends a lot of time with Paul.”

“But she doesn’t hold his hand, does she?”

Madison opened her mouth to refute his claim but closed her mouth once she realized he was right.

“And, if my husband is correct, she stood up for you and interfered with the town hall meeting. Only for you.” Desmond shook his head and put his finger in her face to make a point. 

“She is one of the most hardworking and serious people I know, and yet, she threw out the ‘third party observer’ rule for you.” He slung a rag over his shoulder and turned to go to the back. 

“Think about that, Madison.”

And with that, Desmond appeared from view, and Madison was left alone, save for an absolutely  _ hammered  _ Riley in the back. 

Was it possible that Artemis liked Madison back? If Desmond was to be believed, then maybe. Madison thought back to all of the little moments she brushed off as friendly and picked through each one thoroughly. Suddenly, all of the little touches and glances burst forth with new meaning, basically screaming in her face that Artemis liked her. But was she only thinking this because Desmond influenced her?    
  


She groaned and dropped her head on the bar table. It was a tad bit childish, but it felt like the right thing to do. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a very sudden influx of wolf howling. Madison knew that there were a lot of wolves around Connor Creek, but this seemed like a lot. Riley staggered her way outside to see what was going on, and Madison figured she should follow. She wouldn’t want anything to happen to her while she was horribly intoxicated.

  
Madison was getting out of her chair when she heard Riley exclaim, “Sweet  _ TIDDIES  _ that is a big dog!” 

“Oh no, not you.” A voice replied. 

Madison knew that voice. Her heart rate increased tenfold and she ran outside, gun in hand to find a large, humanoid creature that also looked like a dog? But what really scared her was the way it was approaching Artemis, who was on the ground, vulnerable and in danger. 

“Police!” She cried. “Put your… paws up!” She shakily held up her gun, ignoring the lump in her throat that made it hard to speak.

“Oh shit, not you either!” Artemis pleaded.

Madison closed her eyes and started shooting, screaming, hoping to either hit it or scare it off. When she finally opened her eyes, the thing was gone, but Artemis was lying limp on the ground. Her heart dropped in her chest, and it was like Ryan all over again. Madison rushed over to Artemis and kneeled down next to her, afraid to touch her. 

_ Oh my gosh, did I shoot Artemis? Did I kill Artemis? Is this my fault? _

Her heartbeat rushed in her ears and her entire body shook.

“Artemis? Artemis!” She cried. Madison finally worked up the courage to roll her onto her back. Dr. Henry had told her to do that if someone fainted, but it didn’t help her nerves. Artemis stayed unconscious, and she became even more frantic.

Madison is not religious in any iteration of the word, but at that moment, she looked to the sky and spoke to whoever was listening. 

_ Oh please, please please please, let Artemis wake up. Please. I am begging you, please, just help my friend. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a. silas doesn't deserve rights.  
> b. dadmond rights  
> c. :)


	11. Finally.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, am I excited for this chapter. Nothing is really explicit, but things do get spicy (if you catch my drift)!

“Madison?” Artemis croaked, sitting up on her elbows and squinting up at her.

Madison cried out with relief and attacked Artemis, holding her tightly and laughing into her shoulder. 

“Hey, hey I’m alright!” Artemis spoke gently, gripping Madison back.

“You fainted! I thought I had--” Madison couldn’t finish the sentence. Artemis is fine. She’s okay. All of the adrenaline coursing through her body settled, making all of her limbs heavy and her emotions very vulnerable. What if Madison had lost Artemis, just like she lost Ryan? She couldn’t bear to think about that. 

“I’m okay. I’m here now. Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise.” Artemis 

From behind them, Madison saw Riley and Desmond trotting out of the Dead Canary with a bottle of water and a bag of pretzels. 

Desmond got there first (Riley had opted to sit on a bench about 10 feet away and take a nap) and kneeled down beside them. “Good, you’re awake.” He handed Artemis the water and bag, which she took gratefully. 

“I’m fine. I was just surprised and I fainted,” she said between bites of pretzel and sips of water. Artemis tried to stand up, but was restricted by Madison’s arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Madison, I’m okay. I don’t feel faint anymore, I promise.”

Madison nodded slowly and reluctantly loosened her grip on Artemis, helping her stand up. 

“Don’t  _ do _ that to me Artemis! You scared the sugar outta me!”   
  


Artemis laughed and the sound filled her chest, making her head dizzy and her heart dance, and Madison realized that she needed to do something.

She grabbed Artemis’s hand and walked determinedly towards Artie’s room, eyes blazing and heart pounding out of her chest. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, and the adrenaline was back in full force. Madison was so nervous. She was so, so nervous, but she knew that if she didn’t she would never forgive herself. 

Once they got in the room, Madison slammed the door shut behind them and faced Artemis.

Artemis looked confused and asked “Madison, what is going--”

Madison lunged forwards and took Artemis’s mouth in her own, cupping her face with her hands. She felt Artemis inhale and then melt into the contact, moving her hands so she could card them through Madison’s hair. And holy lord almighty, kissing Artemis was the best thing to have ever happened to Madison. And to have Artemis kiss  _ back _ ? If Heaven existed, Madison was sure this was it. Her lips were soft and pliant, and she tasted faintly of the beer they were drinking earlier that day. Her fingers burned at the contact, and everywhere Artemis touched, heat spread around her body, branching off like a spider web, forming an intricate network of pure euphoria. At some point, both of their jackets found their way to the floor, and the increased contact made her stomach swoop and soar in her chest, one moment falling down and the next rising up to her throat. Madison struggled to keep her hands where they were. She wanted to touch as much as possible, but more than anything, she didn’t want to ruin the moment. Madison was also vaguely aware that the curtains weren’t drawn and that the doorknob was pressing into her lower back, but she honestly couldn’t care less. All that mattered right now was Artemis. 

Eventually, they separated and looked at each other. Artemis’s mouth was slightly open and the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. Her face was completely red, and Madison was sure hers couldn’t be much better. She felt giddy and shaky, and a little nervous, but at the same time was happier than she had been in months. Artemis’s pupils were completely blown, and only a small ring of steel gray could be seen. They stared at each other for about half a second before Artemis quickly turned around and speed-walked to the other side of the room. She closed the curtains and started walking back over. 

Oh.  _ Oh. _ Madison barely had time to process the implications of that action before Artemis was kissing her again. The warm air of the Dead Canary suddenly became so heavy it was hard to breathe. Madison could feel the passion in the air, and the tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. This time, it was Madison who brought her hands up to comb through Artie’s hair, and Artemis hummed in approval. Holy. Fucking _. Shit _ **_._ ** Her lungs felt like they filled with helium and her stomach did another cartwheel. Quickly, things turned more frantic. The steady and slow pace at which they were kissing was replaced with frenzied and desperate kisses. Artemis took Madison’s shirt and tugged her in so they were chest to chest, and Madison could feel her heart beating through her ribs. She was certain that Artemis could feel it as well. Her hands found the hem of Artie’s shirt and she dipped her fingers underneath the fabric, feeling bare skin under her thumbs. She scrambled to feel more, and skimmed her fingers lightly across her stomach, marveling at the goosebumps that rose in its wake. Her entire chest felt like it was expanding, threatening to float up into the air. Suddenly, she felt Artemis lean down a little bit and pick her up by the backs of her legs. Madison wrapped her legs around her torso and flung her arms around her neck, holding on to Artemis and trying to get as close as possible as they moved across the room. Madison thought for a moment how much she felt like a koala, clinging to her friend - was “friend” even an appropriate word? Probably not, considering that they’ve been making out for about 15 minutes. 

She didn’t have enough time to continue thinking about koalas and the nature of their relationship before Artemis dropped her onto the bed with a creak. Instinctively, Madison scooched back until the old wood jabbed against her shoulder blades and Artemis threw herself on top of Madison so she was sitting in her lap. Her entire body was thrumming with excitement and adrenaline, and every time Artemis touched her, it sent a shiver through her entire body and made her hair stand up. It was a miracle she hasn’t passed out yet. Artie’s lips were insistent against hers, constantly applying pressure as careful hands unbuttoned her favorite shirt. Madison shifted to throw it into a pile with her jacket before returning to the woman on top of her, who was pulling her own shirt off over her head. When Artemis moved, the friction was all too much and yet not enough all at the same time. She leaned down to catch Madison’s lips again, and Madison placed her hands around her ribcage, feeling how they expanded as she breathed and slotted her fingers in the spaces between. She tried to ignore the fact that if she moved her hands just a bit higher up, her thumbs would be touching Artie’s breasts, and she worried that if she thought about that she may accidentally do something before Artemis was ready. Instead, she focused on the rise and fall of her breath, delighted in how they were slotted together, how one strand of Artie’s hair tickled the side of her cheek as they kissed. 

Artemis disconnected their lips and Madison whined for a second, but soon Artie’s lips slid down and pressed a firm kiss to the underside of her jaw. And then another. And another. Artemis was kissing all down her neck and collarbone, and Madison was losing her mind. Every point of contact caused her skin to burn up and her heart to jump. It felt like she was going to have a heart attack. She tried to store this moment amongst the little file cabinet in her brain full of happy memories. Artemis kissing her. Artemis kissing her neck. Artemis skirting her fingers across her bare skin. Artemis  _ shirtless _ . Artemis whispering into her ear and her breath against her chest. Artemis, Artemis, Artemis. The kisses trailed down her chest and stomach, and Artemis took her time reaching her waist. She pressed warm kisses to her hip bones before pressing one final kiss right below her navel, which made Madison squirm. Artemis looked up at Madison’s face, searching for approval to take off her jeans. All that Madison could do was nod vigorously as she sat up and helped remove the offending garment. After it was off, she flopped back down against the soft mattress and shivered as Artemis kissed up her thighs, getting incrementally closer to her. Artemis sat up and looked at Madison with such adoration that it made Madison blush. She felt her entire body go red (at least, redder than she previously was).

  
“What?” Madison asked, giggling.

“You’re just so beautiful,” Artemis breathed, smiling.

“Oh shush!” She laughed, playfully slapping her on the arm. “Look who's talking.”

Artemis smiled even wider and looked at her in the eyes. “Are you okay with this?”   
Madison sat up and drew her into another kiss, this one slow and sweet. They separated only enough that their foreheads were touching.   


“Yes.”

* * *

The early morning sunrise was peeking its way through the drawn curtains of the Dead Canary. Chickadees were tweeting outside the window, and the world was quiet. It was so early, Madison doubted that even the Walkers were awake. It felt like the night before was a dream, and yet, here she was. Curled up with Artemis Schue-Hoyrn, a mess of limbs tangled together underneath the covers. Madison’s head was tucked underneath Artemis’s chin, and she was trapped by two long and freckled arms that had wrapped themselves around her body. Their bare legs were intertwined with each other, and Madison had never felt safer. It was a bit odd being curled up with Artemis, both of them wearing nothing more than their underwear. Actually, Artemis was wearing even less. She considered it a fruitless effort to go and pick up the bra that had been flung across the room last night. So yes, it was a little strange to be so close to a half-naked Artemis. But in other ways, it felt so right. It felt so domestic. It was so tiring trying to figure out their feelings for each other.  _ Did she like me? Did she mean that in a romantic way? Were we about to kiss or did I misread the situation? _ It was nice to have confirmation that Artemis cared for her in the same way she did. Madison sighed and kissed the pale skin of Artie’s sternum before settling down even further into her arms. A soft noise from Artemis and Madison looked up to find Artemis smiling down at her. 

“Good morning Madison.”   


“Good morning Artemis.”

Artemis reached down and Madison met her in the middle, their lips connecting softly and tenderly. Madison reached up slowly to hold Artie’s face and rubbed her thumb across her cheek. They finally separated and smiled at each other.

“I like you a lot.”

“I like you too.”

She moved back in for another kiss, lazily leaning into one another as the world woke up around them. This kiss was quiet. Slow and sweet, as they languidly touched each other’s arms and faces. Madison put her hand right underneath Artemis’s left collarbone, soaking in the steady beat of her heart, also slow and tired. A stark contrast to the pace of their hearts the night before. They pulled apart and Madison rested her head against Artemis’s chest. She smelled of sleep and hibiscus body wash. A gentle kiss was placed at the top of her head, and they sat in silence for a bit, just soaking each other in. 

“So,” Madison mumbled, “What are we?”   


“Hmm?”   
  


Madison raised her head begrudgingly from her chest and spoke more clearly. “What are we?”

“‘What are we?’”

“Yes.”

“Madison, we just made out, had sex and now we’re cuddling naked in my bed. I think we’ve moved past friends.”   
  


Madison shrugged and said, “I guess I just wanted to hear you say it.” 

As soon as Madison finished her sentence, Artemis rose into a sitting position and took Madison along with her, holding her hands in front of her like she was about to propose.

“Sheriff Madison Reynolds-”

“You’re ridiculous.”   
  


“Sheriff Madison Reynolds, you are more wonderful than words can describe. It would be my greatest honor if you would be my girlfriend,” Artemis finished, kissing her knuckles as a final blow.

Madison could not believe this woman. “You can be so much sometimes, did you know that?”

Artemis’s eyes twinkled and she raised an eyebrow. “Is that a yes?”

“Of course it is, silly.”

Madison leaned in again and Artemis met her halfway. As soon as they broke apart, Artemis took Madison’s face in her hands and pressed a kiss to her nose before flopping back down onto the bed. Madison laid back down again as well, nestling herself in the crook of Artemis’s arm and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s stomach.  _ Girlfriend _ . That’s so wild. Madison can’t believe that she managed to get so lucky. It’s like living out of a romance novel. Some tourist or investigator comes into your town and sweeps you off of your feet, and then the book ends with a wedding or child or something of the sort. But of course, the town always knew, and that’s where Madison’s life differed from that of a mediocre book. 

“The town can’t really know about us, can they?”

Artemis looked down at Madison in surprise. “Are they homophobic?”

“No, no, not at all. They’re quite supportive. I mean, Desmond and Quinn are together, and no one has any problem with them. They’re like the town dads, ya know? And then there’s Riley and Olivia...” Madison trailed off thoughtfully.

Artemis nodded, “Do you just not want people to know? If you’re not ready for them to know that’s totally fine.”

Madison sat up a little so she could look at Artemis, “No, that’s not it. It’s because you’re a journalist and reporting on the town. They’ll think that I’m- I don’t know- seducing you into spreading false information about Miner Mole or the pro-mining campaign.” She propped herself up on her elbows and continued, ”You’ve seen how they are now. They’re becoming so paranoid. I just don’t want you to lose your job.”

Artemis smirked and said “You have a point, although Lesly wouldn’t fire me just because I found a girlfriend on the job. He’d probably find it amusing, actually.” 

Madison smiled “Still. I don’t want you getting in trouble.” 

“Thank you.” Artemis looked at her gratefully. “So I guess we’ll just have to keep this to ourselves. I’m okay with that.”

Madison kissed Artemis. “And I’m okay with that too.”   
  
Madison had laid back down for approximately 1 millisecond before- oh no. 

She jumped up out of bed. 

“Shoot!”

Artemis sat up too, quickly throwing her legs over the side of the mattress and standing. “What!? What are you- Oh no! The election!” 

Madison nodded furiously while frantically pulling on her jeans. Artemis found her jacket for her and Madison got dressed in a record 50 seconds. She headed for the door but turned around. 

  
“Paul is probably already there. Go ahead and get some rest.”

Artemis smiled appreciatively. They had been up quite late into the night. 

“And one more thing before I leave,” Madison walked back over to Artemis and gently pulled her in for another kiss. 

“Go back to bed and put a shirt on. Don’t want Desmond walking in for room service with you completely topless.”

  
Artemis chuckled and yawned sleepily. “I think I can do that.”   
  
And with one more quick peck, Madison headed out to the town meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artemis and Madison: literally about to have sex  
> Madison: haha koalas go brrr


	12. What now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison deals with her emotions about the election results and the reactions of the people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM BACKKKKKKKKKKKK
> 
> okay so my mental health has been SHITE recently. my motivation was down the drain and on top of that, school work really kicked my ass. But I'm here now! 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

Of course Madison would be late to the election. Not that she regrets anything, quite the opposite in fact. But still, she couldn’t help but notice the flower of guilt and anxiety blooming in her chest and growing up into her throat, withered and ugly as it consumed her senses and smothered the giddiness and joy from last night's events. Whether it was sewn because of her anxieties about the election or the guilt Madison felt about keeping her and Artemis’s relationship a secret was unbeknownst to her. Either way, Madison tried to snip it away and throw it over the proverbial fence to deal with at another time and focus on making it to the venue before it ended. Once Madison rounded the corner, however, she knew it was a fruitless endeavor. The citizens of Connor Creek were mingling about outside the town hall, excitedly discussing the results, and just one look at them told Madison that she had lost.

Relief came first. In hindsight, it would have been very difficult for Madison to juggle being not only the sheriff but also a political figure. She would have had to eventually give one or the other up, and Madison didn’t know which one she would have chosen. Plus, it was a very spur-of-the-moment decision, and she barely even knew Ryan’s stance on most of the issues in the town. 

Disappointment- despite how quickly everything happened, Madison had wanted to win the election. Maybe it was the title that drew her in. The promise of respect and authority from her peers was definitely enticing. It was also the knowledge that she let both Ryan and Artemis down in not winning. That was what hurt most, Madison thought.

Embarrassment was next. She was so sure of herself. So sure that she would win, and her attitude and behavior yesterday would certainly come to bite her in the behind once she showed her face. She was also embarrassed that she was late for her own election. And for what? Madison knew the answer to that question before it even left her mind, and she knew that she wouldn’t change last night for anything. But she couldn’t tell anyone the truth either. Everyone would be asking why she wasn’t there. What could she say? “ _Oh I just hooked up with the Investigative Journalist and we fell asleep together at like 3 am and oh, by the way, we’re dating now.”_ That certainly wouldn’t cut it. All the townsfolk would interpret it as “ _I care more about this stranger who’s impeding on our lives than any of you,”_ and even though Madison _knows_ that’s not true, their reactions to Madison’s perceived rejection would crush her. 

Nonetheless, Madison had an image to uphold. She stuck her chin up and put her shoulders back, ignoring the dirty and smug looks being thrown at her left and right as she worked her way through the crowd. 

“Hey.”

  
Madison turned around to find herself face to face with a very smug Riley Kirkland, and she felt her blood run cold. Did she know? No, there was no way. Riley was way too drunk last night to have remembered anything. Still, the thought persisted, and Madison tried to maintain her cover. 

“Hey! How’s it going, Riley?” 

Nailed it.

“Oh, nothing much. I was just wondering, why weren’t you here this morning?” she accused. 

_She knew._

_Oh god, think Madison, think!_ She silently chastised herself for not coming up with an alibi before barging in. She couldn’t _lie_. Should she just bend the truth? She guessed that was the best course of action. A white lie couldn’t hurt her, right?

“Umm… well Artemis got attacked last night and I had to get involved-”

“So shooting at a big dog is what caused you to be late? I was there too, Madison. I have a killer hangover right now and I still managed to be here at 3am _sharp_.” She glared daggers at Madison, and Madison winced a bit under her gaze.

“Well, that’s not it-”

“Really, Madison. You shoot a couple of times at a feral dog and you’re incapacitated?” Riley continued, and Madison was starting to feel more and more like she was being backed into a corner. 

“I don’t-” Madison stopped and her eyes were drawn to a very smug-looking Paul off to the side, repeatedly raising his eyebrows at her in an obnoxious manner. He beckoned her over and Madison saw this as an escape. 

  
“Excuse me for a moment.” Madison excused herself and walked over, trying her best to maintain a cover and not show her relief.

“Howdy!”

“Howdy yourself!” Paul responded. “Shall we go somewhere more private?”

“Sure thing.” Madison walked closely behind Paul. He led her away from the mingling crowd and back into a secluded room behind the stage in the town hall, where he just turned around and beamed at her. 

“What?” 

“Soooo….” Paul dragged out the word, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

“So what?”

He sighed dramatically and whispered, “I know, Madison.”

Her breath hitched in her throat and her stomach dropped to her feet. How did he know? Madison was fairly sure that Artemis hadn’t left any marks, and it was late at night- no one was there.

“Know what?” She tried to speak confidently, but her voice betrayed her and wobbled on the way out nervously. 

“Madison. Please. I’m an investigative journalist. If I didn’t notice what was happening between you and Artie I wouldn’t have a job.” 

Is it possible to die from embarrassment? She could tell her cheeks had flushed a bright red because Paul cackled loudly.

“Would you keep quiet?” Madison shushed him desperately.

Paul shut up but continued to dance around the small room, punching at the air in victory and whispering various versions of “yes yes yes!” under his breath.

“What on God's green Earth are you so excited about?”

“Finally! Artie’s been talking about you for MONTHS. Oh my goddd,” he dragged his hand across his face in exasperation. “It was only a matter of time before something happened and Desmond and I had a bet.” He punched the air again. “That-” _punch_ “I-” _punch_ “won!” _punch punch punch._

Madison’s jaw dropped. “You were betting on me and Artie getting together?”

Paul shrugged and smiled. Madison looked around frantically as she realized the implications. The town knows. They had to. Was she that obvious? Had she screwed up their relationship before the six-hour mark?

“Hey, hey Madison” Paul took her shoulders gently. “Don’t worry, no one else knows. It’s just me and Desmond. Not even Quinn knows, I made Desmond swear to secrecy.”

“The town _cannot_ know Paul. They _can’t_ know. Please don’t tell anyone-”

Paul shushed her and mimed zipping his mouth shut. “I won’t tell a soul.” 

Her shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. No matter how excitable Paul was, she knew she could trust him and he wouldn’t tell anyone. Their secret was safe with him. 

Wait- How in the world _did_ Paul even know? He wasn’t at the Dead Canary last night.

“How could you even tell? Am I that obvious?” Madison asked. 

“Okay so first of all, you look different.” Paul did that thing with his hands and pointed from her head to her toes. “That’s not just a Hollywood thing. I went through High School. I’ve seen that look before and I know what it means. Two: When I got back to the Dead Canary to see Artie, Desmond stopped me and updated me on her, before saying that you and her disappeared up the stairs, and then handed me some spare keys to a spare room.”

He paused for a moment and raised his eyebrows before continuing. 

“He also said that I won the bet and that I would have fresh french toast on my bedside table for the next week. Number three: Artemis is my twin, Madison.” He tapped his temple knowingly. “I always know.” 

Madison exhaled loudly and placed her head in her hands. “Of course you wanted breakfast in bed.”

“Hey, it was that or being called Sir Paul the Great for the rest of the month. Desmond refused to do that so we compromised.”

_Sir Paul the Great_. That was such a classically Paul move that she couldn’t help but laugh. After a moment of laughter followed by comfortable silence, Paul spoke.

“Is there a reason that you don’t want the town to find out? I don’t want to be nosy so if you don’t want to share that’s fine but I am curious.”

“It’s fine. Just- could you imagine their reactions? The next newspaper headline would read ‘ _Madison Reynolds The Sheriff Cares More About Stranger Than the Town_ ’. And of course, that’s not true in any sense but they’d certainly feel that way. I just-” She sighed and fiddled with her thumbs.

I just don’t think it would be a very good idea to share it with the town yet. Especially with all of the tension.”

Paul nodded. “That makes sense. And until that point, I won’t say a word.” 

“Thank you, Paul,” Madison said genuinely. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course!” But suddenly his face fell and he got deadly serious. “But if you ever hurt my baby sister I will take it personally and I will kill you.”

Madison snorted in amusement and punched his shoulder. “I can promise you that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Gays and Werewolves: 
> 
> The crew thinks about big dogs.
> 
> also I feel like I should mention that hannah said that Paul gives off demi pan energy and now that's canon thank youuu


End file.
